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THE PROGRAMME
4. HUANG HAD HAD TWO SESSIONS OF OFFICIAL TALKS WITH DR OWEN. THERE HAD ALSO BEEN CALLS ON MR VARLEY, MR HEALEY AND THE PRIMI MINISTER, ENTERTAINMENT HAD INCLUDED A LUNCH BY DR OWEN AND A RECEPTION HOSTED BY LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS, CHINESE HOSPITALITY INCLUDED A RECEPTION, FOLLOWED BY A SMALL DINNER FOR DR OWEN AND LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS. HUANG ALSO HAD LUNCH WITH THE SINO-BRITISH
TRADE COUNCIL AND WITH MEMBERS OF BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT. (SINCE CHINA WAS NOT A MEMBER OF THE INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION THIS VISIT WAS ARRANGED PRIVATELY BY MPS AND PEERS), HUANG ALSO
VISITED THE OPERA, A DAY WAS SPENT IN CAMBRIDGE WITH VISITS TO
PYE TELECOMMUNICATIONS LIMITED AND THE UNIVERSITY, INCLUDING THE CAVENDISH LABORATORIES AND THE CHINESE LANGUAGE PROJECT.
5. THE PRIME MINISTER INVITED PREMIER HAU TO VISIT THE UK AND
HUANG RENEWED THE INVITATION TO THE PRIME MINISTER TO VISIT CHINA. DURING A DISCUSSION ON EAST-WEST RELATIONS HUANG EMPHASISED THE
NEED FOR THE WEST TO BE VIGILANT: THE PRIME MINISTER, PICKING UP POINTS MADE BY DR OWEN EARLIER IN THE DAY (SEE BELOW), EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE TO THE WEST OF DETENTE AND SAID THAT IMPROVED
RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UK AND CHINA NEED NOT AND WOULD NOT AFFECT UK/SOVIET RELATIONS. HONG KONG WAS ALSO DISCUSSED. BOTH SIDES EXPRESSED THEMSELVES SATISFIED WITH THE PRESENT GOOD PRACTICAL CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE HONG KONG AND CHINESE AUTHORITIES AND HENCE BETWEEN THE TWO NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS. MURRAY ADDED THE OBSERVATION THAT THE CHINESE SAW THE CONTINUED PROSPERITY AND STABILITY OF HONG KONG AS IMPORTANT TO THEM: THIS WAS EXEMPLIFIED BY THEIR PROVISION OF EXTRA WATER TO THE COLONY, THEIR INTEREST IN BUYING ELECTRICITY FROM HONG KONG, AND THE PLANNED CHARTER FLIGHTS AND HOVERCRAFT SERVICE BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CANTON.
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6. MURRAY PREFACED AN ACCOUNT OF THE TALKS WITH DR OWEN BY REFERRING TO A PASSAGE FROM DR OWEN'S PRESS BRIEFING OF 13 OCTOBER (FCO TELNO 654 - NOT TO ALL, BUT BEING REPEATED TO OTHERS). THERE IS EVERYTHING TO BE SAID FOR BRITAIN HAVING IMPROVING RELATIONS WITH CHINA AND AS FAR AS BRITAIN IS CONCERNED, THAT WILL NOT BE DONE AT THE EXPENSE OF RELATIONS WITH THE SOVIET UNION. IF THE SOVIET UNION WISH TO MAKE THAT AN ISSUE THAT IS UP TO THEM: BUT IT WON'T BE BRITAIN WHO IS PROVOKING IT, IT WILL NOT BE EUROPE THAT IS PROVOKING THAT, IT WILL NOT BE THE UNITED STATES',
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17. DR OWEN