TNAG-2769-FCO40-3986-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-interviews--press-briefings-and-the--1994 — Page 168

had. I deployed our standard arguments, emphasising the

-

the

support both for the Governor personally and for our approach in the talks which the community continues to express; desire in the community not only for a fully representative LegCo but also for the maximum achievable continuity consistent with this; and the fact that we are not going to sign up to any

I also gave Ms Righter a deal which sacrifice our principles. fairly frank account of the most recent developments over a

Her reaction to this was that it should have stage one deal. been obvious to us that any carrots the Chinese dangled before the OPD(K) meeting would be withdrawn immediately afterwards.

Comment

5.

I suspect that Ms Righter had been talking to Martin Lee. She did not admit this when I asked, but claimed that she was reflecting the views of the wider community "way beyond the UDHK". She rejected dismissively the notion that most people in Hong Kong actually wanted us to try as hard as we could to get an acceptable agreement, and to persist in our efforts for as long as there was time available.

6.

I understand

Ms Righter will need careful handling. that she has in the past been responsible for some very

Her unconcealed hostility towards me supportive editorials.

may have owed something to my FCO provenance; simply been her natural conversational style.

or it may have

But she did not

give me the impression we could expect much support from her henceforth.

Sue Bone PP (John Ashton)

Deputy Political Adviser 23 November 1993

CONFIDENTIAL