TNAG-2455-FCO40-3576-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-presentation-1992 — Page 165

PS/Mr Goodlad

CONFIDENTIAL

MATS 02/7 нив

FROM: CO Hum

DATE: 16 September 1992

cc: Political Advisers

Mr Ricketts, HKD Mr Cornish, News

Dept

HONG KONG: GOVERNOR'S 7 OCTOBER SPEECH: GAME PLAN FOR PRESENTATION IN THE UK

1. The game plan set out in Mr Ricketts' submission of 16 September strikes me as a very comprehensive one. If there are points which Mr Goodlad would like to discuss, it would be helpful if this could be done before he sees Mr Yaxley for lunch tomorrow.

2. Where the substance of the game plan is concerned, I have only three points of detail:

i) Parliament. There is a slightly arbitrary distinction between those Parliamentarians who will receive a "Dear Colleague" letter and those who will only receive a letter from Mr Yaxley. I suspect that the list provided by the Hong Kong Government Office, indicating suggested recipients of the "Dear Colleague" letter, should be cast a little wider if it is to take in all those Parliamentarians who have shown an active interest in Hong Kong. I suggest that the Department should review this point, and err on the generous side;

ii) media. Mr Yaxley's proposed briefing breakfast on 7 October for writers of foreign affairs leaders in the UK press will be an important occasion. I think there should also be attendance from the FCO to ensure that any points raised which are primarily for HMG are properly dealt with;

I

iii) further briefing of the Chinese. I discussed briefly with the Governor yesterday how far we should brief Ambassador Ma. He agreed that we should take the Ambassador into our confidence while making it clear that we are not seeking to open up another channel to Peking on the issues concerned. shall be happy to brief Ambassador Ma on 29 September, following the line taken by the Secretary of State with Qian at the end of the previous week. I suggest that Ma should also be given a full copy of the Governor's speech in confidence on 6 October, in parallel with the copy which Sir R McLaren will hand over formally in Peking.

стати

CO Hum

CONFIDENTIAL

G

Page 165Page 166