TNAG-2781-FCO40-4000-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-Chinese-reac-1993 — Page 52

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077 2 MDHIAN 6592

PREPARATION FOR SOME TIME. PRESUMABLY, THE COMMUNIST PRESS WOULD HAVE HAD DIFFERENT HEADLINES IF PEKING HAD WON THE 2000 OLYMPIC GAMES. LOCAL PRESS INTEREST HAS BEEN LIMITED (THE NCNA HAS ATTEMPTED TO RE-FLOAT THE STATEMENT AT LEAST THREE TIMES IN RECENT MONTHS) BUT UK AND OTHER FOREIGN JOURNALISTS SEEM TO SEE THE RE-RUN OF THE STATEMENT AS OMINOUSLY THREATENING ON THE EVE OF THE 12TH ROUND OF TALKS AND THE FOREIGN SECRETARY'S MEETING WITH QIAN QICHEN. THE BIG DOMESTIC COVERAGE SUGGESTS THAT IT IS PART OF THE PRC'S DAMAGE LIMITATION EXERCISE FOLLOWING THE BAD NEWS FROM MONTE

CARLO.

PATTEN

YYYY

DISTRIBUTION

64

ΜΑΙΝ

57

.HK POLICY

HKD

PUSD

FED

LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT

LEGAL ADVISERS//MISS BROOKS NEWS D

NTCD

PLANNERS

RAD

PS

PS/MR GOODLAD

SIR J COLES

MR HUM

ADDITIONAL

7

CAOFF//SIR R BRAITHWAITE (DIO)

CAOFF//MISS NEVILLE-JONES

CAOFF//MR SIBSON

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PS NO 10.

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