TNAG-2275-FCO40-3274-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-1991 — Page 85

TO:

1991-02-13

10' 15

BRITISH TRADE COMMISSION

852 845 2870

FAX TRANSMISSION

BRITISH TRADE COMMISSION IN HONG KONG

9th Floor Bank of America Tower 12 Harcourt Road Hong Kong Mail Address GPO Box No 528 Hong Kong

Telex HX 73031 Cable Address Uktrade Hong Kong Telephone 5-230176

DAVID CRYSTAL, Fax No: 71 270

NEWS DEPT, NEWS DEPT, FCO. 3094

FM:

CHRIS OSBORNE

PAGE 1 of 8

Your reference

Our referanca

13 FEBRUARY 1991

Date

Dear David,

Your fax of 12 February.

I enclose the exchange of correspondence I have had with Sinclair on this issue pluo a copy of his allcle in Monday's SCMP. As you will see from my fax of 11 February ↑ have correntod his bolio f that thore woo no briefing for Hong Kong journalists. No doubt he feels he should have been invited as he regarde himeolf

Ano of Hong Kong' o leading commentatorB, a view not held by everyone? The fact is that the editor of his newspaper, Philip Crawley, was invited and as a result wrote a not unhelpful editorial on 2 February (copy also attached).

As to question 3, I selected the journalists and invited them; the Hong Kong Government (who as you will see from Sinclair's article and fax of 9 February are also out of favour) played no part in the exercise.

The media verdicto on the visit and the lack of a press conference are not yet all in. When they are I plan to let HKD have a view on any adjustments that need to be made for future visits. As of now we seem te havo broken away CIVIL Le Lycaшny or a press conterence with some success. That said I need to look carefully at how to handle the TV stations on the next vieit they were very iııilaled by the way they were "excluded". The fact that they had endless coverage of the Minister's visit does not seem to count?

on

Thie office ic aloood

14 and 15 February for Chinese New Year (the year of the Ram) but please call me at home if you need any further information.

Yours ever,

Chris.

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