TNAG-2050-FCO40-2920-Visits-by-Lord-Caithness--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and--1990 — Page 4

CONFIDENTIAL

137

046273 MDLIAN 7179

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 3820

OF 28083OZ DECEMBER 90

HKB 026/34

RECEN

CTOM

2 JAN. 19911

·ར་བ་ན་ངས་

"Actiuniaken

TOP COM

Q DIST ?

MY TELNO 3806 VISIT OF LORD CAITHNESS : PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT

1. THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF PRESS REPORTS ABOUT LORD CAITHNESS'S FORTHCOMING VISIT, INCLUDING ONE TODAY WHICH QUOTES THE CORRECT DATES FOR IT.

2. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF WE COULD ISSUE A SHORT PRESS RELEASE EARLY NEXT WEEK ON THE FOLLOWING LINES :

''THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE, LORD CAITHNESS, WILL VISIT HONG KONG FROM 29 JANUARY TO 1 FEBRUARY 1991 AS PART OF A VISIT TO THE REGION. THIS WILL BE THE MINISTER'S SECOND VISIT TO HONG KONG**

3. IN ANSWER TO QUESTIONS, WE WILL SAY THAT LORD CAITHNESS'S PROGRAMME IS STILL UNDER PREPARATION, BUT THAT, LIKE THE SEPTEMBER VISIT, IT WILL INCLUDE MEETINGS WITH THE GOVERNOR, MEMBERS OF EXCO AND SENIOR OFFICIALS AND VISITS TO A DISTRICT AND A REFUGEE CENTRE. IF ASKED WHAT OTHER COUNTRIES LORD CAITHNESS PROPOSES TO VISIT, WE WOULD DECLINE TO COMMENT BUT MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THEY DID NOT INCLUDE THE PRC.

WILSON

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

32

LIMITED

HKD

NEWS D

FED

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DISTRIBUTION

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PS/LORD CAITHNESS

MR MCLAREN

MR BURNS