HOFO 039/21
PP HONGAID
PP F CO
GRS 185
CONFIDENTIAL
sent lo
нкиок
(sher bay #knout. office)
FM HONG KONG 211155Z FEB 79
D
HECK 026/3
IMDEX
No
K
HK rGD
2 Ro. 51
2 2 FEB 1979
OF
J2012
TRY !
จาก ren
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
TELEGRAM NUMBER 170 OF 21 FEBRUARY
INFO F C O (PERSONAL FOR MCLAREN HKGD)
PERSONAL FOR BRAY FROM POLITICAL ADVISER.
fur
Мольши
1. THE GOVERNOR HAS BEEN INVITED BY LI QIANG, THE CHINESE MINISTER OF FOREIGN TRADE, TO VISIT CHINA. WE HAVE PROPOSED 24 MARCH - 4 APRIL AND ARE NOW AWAITING THE CHINESE REPLY AS TO WHETHER
THESE DATES ARE SUITABLE.
2. KNOWLEDGE OF THE VISIT HERE IS RESTRICTED TO A VERY SMALL CIRCLE. EXCO WERE BRIEFED ON TUESDAY. THE REST OF UMELCO AND MOST MEMBERS OF GOVERNMENT WILL NOT BE TOLD IN ADVANCE OF THE PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT. DEPENDING ON HOW QUICKLY THE CHINESE REPLY AND EXTRANEOUS FACTORS (EG VIETNAM), WE EXPECT TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT SOMETIME NEXT WEEK.
3. MEANWHILE WE HAVE SENT TO THE FCO A TELEGRAM GIVING THE LINE WE INTEND TO TAKE WITH THE PRESS IN BACKGROUND BRIEFING. WE HAVE NOT COPIED IT TO YOU TO MINIMISE THE RISK OF LEAKS. COULD YOU PLEASE READ IT AT THE FCO AND GET A COPY FROM THEM FOR USE WHEN THE ANNOUNCEMENT IS MADE. AT THAT STAGE WE WILL COPY ALL APPROPRIATE TELEGRAMS TO YOU IN THE NORMAL WAY.
MACLEHOSE
72.2
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