C
CONFIDENTIAL
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SECRETARY OF STATE'S BILATERAL WITH THE PRIME MINISTER, 25 JANUARY
HONG KONG:
RECENT MEDIA COVERAGE
Concerned about recent spate of negative articles and
commentaries in the press about Hong Kong (Sunday Telegraph, Independent, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal).
Most articles focus on provisions for Hong Kong's future
political system in second draft of Basic Law, endorsed at a meeting
of the Basic Law Drafting Committee earlier this month. Reflect concern felt by some people in Hong Kong that political model in
present draft too conservative. Commentators overlook fact that
present draft is not last word: still much scope for further
changes.
Press have also almost completely ignored many significant
improvements made to other parts of the original draft (eg better
human rights provisions, greater autonomy for Hong Kong courts, much
less scope for interference by PRC in Hong Kong legislation and
interpretation of Basic Law). These achievements the result of
our confidential contacts with Chinese. But we can get no public
credit for this.
Wall Street Journal editorial contained some particularly
grotesque distortions of the facts. We are responding immediately
with a detailed rebuttal of editorial.
We are also aiming to stimulate articles by authoritative
figures in Hong Kong to counter-balance the negative press coverage
and to point up the gains achieved so far in the Basic Law drafting
process.
Will continue to look for opportunities to underline
publicly our firm commitment to Hong Kong and our confidence in its
future.
CONFIDENTIAL
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