RE
200
RICTED
FM FCO 16180OZ AUG 79
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
RESTRICTED
TELEGRAM NUMBER 656 OF 16 AUGUST
IOP
K
OBY
SVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
16 AUG 1979
OFFICER
REGISTR
YOUR TELNO 1167: MR BLAKER'S TRAVELS FOLLOWING FOR GOVERNOR FROM PS/MR BLAKER
1. MANY THANKS FOR YOUR TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE. MR BLAKER IS ON HOLIDAY IN CRETE UNTIL 24 AUGUST.
2. THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS APPROVED HIS PLANS FOR TRAVEL OVERSEAS VISITS IN SEPTEMBER BUT WE STILL AWAIT THE PRIME MINISTER'S CONSENT. I KNOW THAT MR BLAKER WOULD BE HAPPY TO VISIT HONG KONG EITHER IN SEETEMBER OR JANUARY, AT YOUR CONVENIENCE. IF HE CAME IN SEPTEMBER THE POSSIBLE TIMING WOULD BE TO ARRIVE IN HONG KONG AT 1600 HOURS ON 23 SEPTEMBER ON FLIGHT CX 710. HE MIGHT LEAVE LATE ON TUESDAY. 25 SEPTEMBER OR EARLY ON WEDNESDAY 26 SEPTEMBER FOR MANILA. DAVID WILSON, TO WHOM I SPOKE. BY CHANCE YESTERDAY, THOUGHT THESE DATES MIGHT BE POSSIBLE FOR YOU.
3. THE HEADS OF MISSION CONFERENCE IN BANGKOK IN JANUARY IS A FIRM
PLAN BUT THERE MAY WELL BE DIFFICULTIES OVER MR BLAKER BEING ABSENT
FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME WHILE PARLIAMENT IS SITTING. AND INDEED,..
SOME OTHER EVENT OR ACCIDENT MAY FRUSTRATE THE TRIP ALTHOGETHER.
WE COULD NOT AT THIS STAGE ANNOUNCE THAT MR BLAKER WILL BE VISITING
HONG KONG IN THE SECOND HALF OF JANUARY.
4. THE JUDGMENT OF OFFICIALS HERE IS THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO FIT
IN A VISIT TO HONG KONG NEXT MONTH; BUT I KNOW MR BLAKER WOULD BE CONTENT TO LEAVE IT OVER UNTIL JANUARY.1 SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR DECISION AS SOON AS CONVENIENT (SO THAT I CAN FIRM UP THE
ITINERARY).
CARRINGTON
}
FILES
HK9&D (6)
SEAD
SED
PSD
CCD PCCU
PLANNING STAFF PS/MR BLAKER MR CORTAZZI
MR MURRA'
RAY
COPIES TO:
MISS GALE, PACD
RESTRICTED