TNAG-2277-FCO40-3276-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-1991 — Page 131

From the Secretary of State

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

9 September 1991

I have countered elsewhere Paul Johnson's main

argument about Hong Kong (September 8) and will not repeat why I think he is wrong. But he throws in as make-weight a number of other accusations:

that Foreign Office pressure decided the timing of the ceasefire in Iraq, that the Foreign Office under- estimated the importance of Boris Yeltsin and thought the Moscow coup was bound to succeed, that I volunteered a statement without being asked about NATO and Eastern Europe, and that I have refused to hear the Croatian point of view (ask President Tudjman!)

None of these accusations is true.

DOUGLAS HURD

Max Hastings Esq