CONFIDENTIAL
660
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 170550Z FEB 79
CONFIDENTIAL
TO PIRORITY F.C.O.
TELEGRAM NUMBER 282 OF 17 FEBRUARY, 1979
AND TO PRIORITY PEKING.
TOP COP
HKK 226/3
N.
19/2
PEKING TELEGRAM NUMBER 11 TO ME: VISIT TO PEKING.
1. THE POLITICAL ADVISER SPOKE TODAY TO LI ZHUSHANG THE SECOND DIRECTOR OF NCNA, HE GAVE CUR SUGGESTED COMPOSITION OF THE PARTY, AND DATES AS IN PARAGRAPH 6 OF MY TELEGRAM TO PEKING NO. 26. ON PLACES TO VISIT I DECIDED TO PUT FORWARD ONLY LANZHOU AND SIAN IN ORDER TO MEET SIR Y K KAN'S PREFERENCES.
2. THE POLITICAL ADVISER SAID THAT I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING LI QIANG AGAIN AND THAT I HOPED TO SEE LIAO CHENGZHIH. WE WERE LEAVING IT TO THE NCNA TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR ME TO SEE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP WHOM THEY THOUGHT APPROPRIATE.
3. ON DETAILED ARRANGEMENTS, P.A. SAID THAT IT WOULD BE NORMAL FOR ARRANGEMENTS FOR A BRITISH VISITOR TO BE MADE THROUGH THE EMBASSY IN PEKING. IN THIS CASE, HOWEVER, WE WERE ASSUMING THAT THE ARRANGEMENTS COULD BE MADE MOST EASILY BY DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE LOCAL NCNA, THE AMBASSADOR WOULD OF COURSE WISH TO BE INVOLVED. AS SOON AS THE CHINESE CONFIRMED THE DATES HE WOULD WISH TO BE IN TOUCH WITH THE FOREIGN MINISTRY AND THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN TRADE. THIS WOULD BE BOTH TO CONFIRM THAT THE VISIT WAS SEEN BY H.M.G. AS BEING A MATTER HAVING AN IMPORTANT BEARING ON SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS AND TO ENSURE THAT HE COULD MAKE SUITABLE ARRANGMENTS FOR E.G. A RETURN BANQUET. THE AMBASSADOR WOULD ALSO EXPECT TO BE PRESENT FOR ANY
IMPORTANT MEETINGS IN PEKING.
4. GN PUBLICITY, THE P.A. SAID THAT WE WOULD WANT TO MAKE A BRIEF PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT AS SOON AS CHINESE CONFIRMED THAT THE DATES SUGGESTED WERE ACCEPTABLE. WE WOULD CLEAR THE TEXT WITH THE CHINESE
IN ADVANCE.
15.
CONFIDENTIAL
/ 5. LI EXPRESSED