TNAG-2621-FCO40-3812-Visits-by-Alastair-Goodlad--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-an-1992 — Page 30

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WERE WELL REPORTED, AS WERE HIS COMMENTS ON LAW AND ORDER.

4.

THE PRESS COVERAGE FOR THE SECOND DAY (26 MAY) FOCUSED ON MR. GOODLAD'S COMMENTS AFTER HIS MEETING WITH THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. HE WAS WIDELY REPORTED AS SAYING THAT THERE WERE NO PLANS TO CHANGE THE ROLE OF EXCO. HIS VISIT TO THE WHITHEAD DETENTION CENTRE WAS ALSO WELL REPORTED, AS WAS HIS MEETING WITH THE CRC LATER IN THE DAY. ALLEN LEE WAS WIDELY QUOTED AS HAVING EMPHASISED DURING THE MEETING THAT HMG WOULD NEED CHINA'S AGREEMENT FOR ANY CHANGE IN THE PACE OF HONG KONG'S DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT. MOST PAPERS REPORTED MR. LEE AS SAYING THAT IF THIS AGREEMENT WAS NOT FORTHCOMING, THE CRC WOULD NOT SUPPORT ANY NEW HMG INITIATIVES.

5. MR. GOODLAD'S MEETING WITH ZHOU NAN WAS THE MAIN FOCUS OF ATTENTION ON 27 MAY, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS ALSO CONSIDERABLE COVERAGE OF HIS REMARKS ON LAW AND ORDER DURING A COMMUNITY LUNCH. THE PRESS CONTINUED TO DEMAND CLARIFICATION OF HMG'S POSITION ON THE PACE OF DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT AND ON BRINGING

THE UDHK INTO EXCO. THERE WAS SOME FRUSTRATION WITH MR. GOODLAD'S CAUTIOUS REPLIED AND HIS INSISTENCE THAT HIS AIM DURING THE VISIT

WAS TO HEAR A WIDE RANGE OF VIEWS RATHER THAN TO PRONOUNCE ON NEW

POLICY INITIATIVES.

6.

PRIOR TO 29 MAY, THE LEFT WING PRESS REPORTED THE VISIT IN BALANCED AND REASONABLY ACCURATE COVERAGE. THEY DID NOT USE THEIR ANALYSIS PAGES TO COMMENT ON THE MINISTER OF STATE'S ACTIVITIES OR ON THE SPECULATION IN THE MAINSTREAM PRESS ABOUT CHANGES IN HMG'S APPROACH ON HONG KONG ISSUES. THIS CHANGED ABRUPTLY ON 29 MAY FOLLOWING MR. GOODLAD'S REMARKS ON THE POSSIBILITY OF AMENDING THE BASIC LAW BEFORE 1997. WE HAVE REPORTED IN THE TURS THE LEFT WING BARRAGE THAT FOLLOWED AND IS

STILL CONTINUING AS WELL AS THE RESPONSE OF THE MAINSTREAM PRESS.

COMMENT

7.

IN TERMS OF PRESS COVERAGE, THIS VISIT WAS VERY MUCH A TWO- PART STORY. THE REPORTING OF THE MAIN EVENTS IN THE PROGRAMME WAS BALANCED AND REASONABLY ACCURATE, ALTHOUGH A CRITICAL NOTE CREPT INTO THE COVERAGE AS IT BECAME CLEAR THAT MR. GOODLAD HAD NO INTENTION OF FUELING THE SPECULATION AND CONSPIRACY THEORIES

ABOUT BRITISH INTENTIONS. THE TONE OF THE REPORTING IN ALL PARTS OF THE MEDIA CHANGED DRAMATICALLY WITH THE REACTION IN THE LEFT WING PRESS TO MR. GOODLAD'S COMMENTS ON THE BASIC LAW.

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