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From: R F Wye
Far Eastern Department
K267
270 2953
Date: 31 March 1989
CC: Mr Whitehead, News Dept
Mr Paul, HKD
44
ZHOU NAN'S VISIT: PRESS RELATIONS
Zhou Nan's behaviour at the press doorstepping on 29 March created a very bad impression on the journalists present.
1.
2.
The doorstepping was arranged at the Chinese Embassy's request. News Department made it clear, at the time, that it could only be done if the Minister was prepared to answer questions, and they warned the Chinese that they should expect hard-hitting ones on Tibet and Hong Kong. The Chinese said that he was prepared to do So. In the event he gave a fairly long statement recounting the details of his programme. He then drove away without taking questions.
J
3. This created a very bad impression on those members of the press
present.
News Department have already taken a number of complaints about the disrespect with which he had treated the press who had attended on the expectation that he would be taking questions. This could well lead to hostile press pieces, especially in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong journalists were dismayed at Zhou Nan's behaviour, and
the feeling was that if he could treat them in such a cavalier fashion in Britain what hope was there for freedom of the press in Hong Kong.
4.
Part of this is no doubt spur of the moment anger and
disappointment. But this failure to treat the press with what they see as a due degree of courtesy could cast a cloud over the visit as
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