香港總督官邸
SECRET
THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
FLAGSTAFF HOUSE
HONG KONG
11 April 1979
Sir,
Last week I returned to Hong Kong from a 12-day visit to China at the invitation of Mr Li Qiang, the
Minister of Foreign Trade. With me were Sir Yuet-keung Kan, the Senior Unofficial Member of the Executive Council, Dr David Wilson, my Political Adviser, and our wives. We visited Guangzhou (Canton), Peking, Xi'an (Sian) and Lanzhou (Lanchow). In Guangzhou and Peking we held talks with provincial and central officials. The last two places were a touristic interlude arranged at my request because I had been to both some 30 years ago and wished to see what had changed. The detailed content of our discussions has already been reported separately to the Department.
2. During the 19th century and up to the second World War it was not unusual for Governors of Hong Kong to visit China, particularly Canton. Since the Communist victory in 1949, however, none has done so officially, although my predecessor, Sir Alexander Grantham, paid a private visit to Peking at the invitation of the British Chargé d'Affaires in 1956. This official visit to China, first suggested last December, was therefore a completely new development.
3.
I had several objectives in accepting the
Chinese invitation. First, the timing was right for a move of this sort. During the past few years, and particularly the last three, we have made a series of small but deliberate moves to improve relations with local Chinese officials in Hong Kong. The Chinese for their part have made a number of reciprocal moves to show that they are well satisfied with the status quo, even though their long-term view that Hong Kong is Chinese territory has not changed. Since I came to Hong Kong in 1972 I have had a number of hints from intermediaries that I would be welcome to visit China as a tourist if I wished. I have not thought it
/ right
The Rt Hon Dr David Owen MP Foreign & Commonwealth Office London SW1
SECRET