CONFIDENTIAL
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117451
MDHIAN 4684
TOP COPY DIST?
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 527
OF 211044Z FEBRUARY 92
HKD 021/2
SUSPECTED DUPLI
INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG INFO IMMEDIATE BTC HONG KONG
pa 021/2
28/2
US/HK POLICY ACT 1991 (THE MCCONNELL BILL)
1. A JOURNALIST ON THE SUNDAY MORNING POST (DANNY GITTINGS) HAS WRITTEN TO THE DEPUTY POLITICAL ADVISER (BRADLEY) SAYING THAT IN THE COURSE OF RESEARCHING FOR A PIECE ON THE MCCONNELL BILL TO BE PUBLISHED IN THIS SUNDAY'S ISSUE OF THE POST, HE HAD DISCOVERED THAT THE POLITICAL ADVISER'S OFFICE HAD EXPRESSED CONCERNS TO THE US CONSULATE ABOUT THE BILL ON A NUMBER OF POINTS. SAYING HIS INFORMATION WAS INCOMPLETE, GITTINGS ASKED FOR AN INTERVIEW ON THE MATTER.
2. BRADLEY WILL AVOID RESPONDING BECAUSE GITTINGS WILL NO DOUBT USE ANYTHING WE SAY. THE US CONSULATE HAVE TOLD US THEY TALKED TO GITTINGS ON A BACKGROUND BASIS ABOUT THE MCCONNELL BILL. THEY SAY THEY MADE NO MENTION OF DISCUSSING IT WITH US NOR OF THE CONCERNS WE EXPRESSED. GITTINGS MAY THEREFORE SIMPLY BE FISHING, AND IN THE ABSENCE OF ANYTHING FROM US WHICH HE CAN USE, THE ARTICLE MAY NOT APPEAR. BUT IF IT DOES AND WE ARE ASKED ABOUT IT, WE WILL STICK CLOSELY TO THE LINE THAT IT IS A MATTER FOR CONGRESS AND DECLINE FURTHER COMMENT. IF PRESSED ON THE SPECIFIC POINT OF TALKING TO THE CONSULATE-GENERAL, WE WILL SAY THAT ANY EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE HKG AND THE CONSULATE-GENERAL ARE CONFIDENTIAL BETWEEN US.
WILSON
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