TNAG-2701-FCO40-3907-Memoirs-of-Sir-Percy-Cradock--diplomat-and-sinologist-1993 — Page 63

CONFIDENTIAL

STRICTLY PERSONAL

5.

There was certainly no intention to keep anything. If it had seemed sufficiently important at the

time you would have been informed at once.

from you.

6.

Can I broaden this out a bit? From time to time I

see accounts in the British and Hong Kong media to the

effect that FCO officials are doing this and that in

opposition to the Governor of Hong Kong. When you last

came back a Times leader said you would come under

pressure from FCO officials. Hong Kong telno 645 reports

John Ellison saying similar things, not for the first

time.

7.

I assure you that this is codswallop. In all

their public dealings the FCO team dealing with Hong Kong

must support the policy and the Governor as advocate of

that policy and that is the end of it. I should be

furious with anyone working for me who did not observe

that rule. I have never seen a shred of evidence that

they do not. Thank you, incidentally, for making it plain

to Jonathan Dimbleby that there was nothing in the

"widespread reports" which he claimed to have heard.

8.

I wanted to get that off my chest because whatever

we do the press will continue to write the "FCO

Sinologists versus the Governor" story. I should love to

disabuse them by revealing my own sinologist credentials

but I know perfectly well that it would not stop the

story.

CONFIDENTIAL

STRICTLY PERSONAL

/9.