CONFIDENTIAL
176033
MDLOAN 1152
WE VALUE THE CUSTOMARY NOTE FROM IRENE YAU OF WHAT IS IN THE MIND OF THE PRESS.
PRESSURE GROUPS.
8. WE AGREE IN PRINCIPLE THAT WE SHOULD TRY TO GET AWAY FROM THE ROUTINE OF MEETING SO MANY PRESSURE GROUPS. IN PRACTICE, OF COURSE, SUCH MEETINGS NEED TO BE JUDGED CAREFULLY ON ITS MERITS ON EACH OCCASION. I THINK THERE WERE RATHER TOO MANY SUCH MEETINGS ON LORD CAITHNESS' VISIT. ON THE OTHER HAND, HE WAS A NEW MINISTER. WE HAVE NO WISH TO GET DRAWN INTO ISSUES WHICH ARE ESSENTIALLY INTERNAL HONG KONG MATTERS. BUT EQUALLY A VISITING FCO MINISTER WILL WANT TO DEMONSTRATE A KEEN INTEREST IN THE MATTERS OF GREATEST CONCERN TO HONG KONG PEOPLE AND A READINESS TO LISTEN TO THEM. IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS THIS IS SOMETHING WHICH I THINK WE WILL HAVE TO PLAY BY EAR.
OTHER ASPECTS.
9.
WE WERE, AS ALWAYS, VERY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE ARRANGEMENTS WHICH HAD BEEN MADE FOR LORD CAITHNESS' VISIT. GIVEN THAT THIS WAS HIS FIRST VISIT TO HONG KONG, WE THINK THAT THE BALANCE OF THE PROGRAMME WAS ABOUT RIGHT. BUT WE HOPE THAT ON FUTURE VISITS MORE TIME CAN BE ALLOWED FOR THE MINISTER TO DISCUSS MATTERS IN DEPTH WITH YOURSELF AND SENIOR OFFICERS. IN OTHER WORDS, THE PROGRAMME NEEDS TO GIVE THE MINISTER AND HIS PARTY ENOUGH TIME TO DRAW BREATH AND GATHER THEIR THOUGHTS. AMONG THE SPECIFIC ITEMS THAT LORD CAITHNESS WOULD LIKE TO SEE INCLUDED ON THE NEXT VISIT IF POSSIBLE ARE A LOOK AT THE MTR AND GOING OUT ON A SEA PATROL VESSEL.
HURD
YYYY
DISTRIBUTION
28
MAIN
28
LIMITED
HKD
NEWS DEPT
NWww
PS/LORD CAITHNESS
MR MCLAREN
MR BURNS
PAGE
3
CONFIDENTIAL
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