TNAG-2294-FCO40-3308-Visit-by-Douglas-Hurd--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Co-1991 — Page 19

DRAFT

Mr McLaren

Private Secretary

CONFIDENTIAL

From:

R A Burns

Date:

Cc:

March 1991

PS/Lord Caithness Special Advisers Mr Paul, HKD Mr Cornish, News

Department

Mr Davies FED

A

HONG KONG : RELATIONS WITH THE PRESS

1.

At his meeting on 20 February, the Secretary of State asked me to consider how to construct a campaign to educate opinion and the media in this country about the value of a visit to Peking in April.

2.

A visit in April should not cause quite the same explosion as the one by Mr Maude last year, because that visit coincided with a statement from the Chinese about the Nationality Act, which was prompted by the announcement of Royal Assent. But the visit will be made controversial by the following three factors:-

(a)

Controversy over the Dalai Lama. His visit takes place from 17-22 March. Any discussion of China this month is bound to include discussion of Tibet. We have some reasonable arguments to deploy.

(b) Human rights. The recent spate of trials

continues. We have made our views known in fairly robust terms. Human rights' abuses in Eastern Europe were never a reason for not visiting the countries and banging away with our arguments. Some Chinese officials are now showing a willingness to talk about human rights. We must persevere.

(c)

We should never have given away Hong Kong. Many commentators start from the premise that the Joint Declaration was a mistake. But we cannot undo history. Nor can we tow Hong Kong into the Pacific. Any discussion of how to help Hong Kong must start from the present situation.

CONFIDENTIAL

/3.