TNAG-2617-FCO40-3808-Visit-by-Lord-Caithness--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and-C-1992 — Page 23

RESTRICTED

FM FCO

RESTRICTED

Richard Isard

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 287

OF 24183OZ FEBRUARY 92

sec Pol.

HKD 026/3

pa

J26/2

Hyperbole,

I assume

No. True

2B actually!

STRICTLY PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM BURNS

MY TELNO 256: VISIT OF LORD CAITHNESS

in

2576

80

105575

MDHOAN 0200

Mr fox

Mr Store 25/2

M M 25/2 Ms Sande 26/2 M QTR 25/~

1. THE MINISTER WAS ABSOLUTELY HORRIFIED TO SEE THE PIECE IN THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST TODAY EXPLAINING THAT THE LACK OF AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE MINISTER'S VISIT TO HONG KONG WAS BECAUSE OF A FEAR OF BEING BURGLED AGAIN WHILE HE WAS AWAY.

NO-ONE HERE HAS SPOKEN TO THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST IN THIS WAY. WE CANNOT IMAGINE HOW THIS CONCERN COULD HAVE LEAKED OUT AT YOUR END.

HURD

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

4

NO DISTRIBUTION

HD/HKD

MR BURNS

NNNN

DISTRIBUTION

SIR J COLES

PS/LORD CAITHNESS