TNAG-2769-FCO40-3986-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-interviews--press-briefings-and-the--1994 — Page 26

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Serum & State

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FROM: P F Ricketts

Hong Kong Department DATE: 23 December 1993

cc: Mr Culshaw, News Dept

Mr Fry, FED

HONG KONG: PROPOSAL FOR INTERVIEW WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE

Problem

1.

The new Hong Kong/English newspaper "Eastern Express" which is to be launched on 20 January has made a bid for an interview

with the Prime Minister in their first edition. We have also

had a separate bid from the London Correspondent of the group launching this paper (John Ellison) for an interview with the

Secretary of State.

Recommendation

2. That we should not pursue the idea of an interview with the Prime Minister but that the Secretary of State should offer an

interview after the OPD (K) meeting on 24 January and his

appearance before the FAC on 25 January.

Background and Arqument

I see two main reasons against recommending an interview

by the Prime Minister:

The new paper has no track record, although it is billed as

an independent paper (following the South China Morning Post's acquisition by a group with close relations with China). The Prime Minister has not in recent years given an interview to the Hong Kong media. To do so for this paper

would be very high profile. It would require the

Prime Minister to master some detailed briefing and there

inter.PET.JRB

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