PRESS SERVICE
LATE SECTION (REGIONAL).
WEDNESDAY
ཟ
W.
Transmission →
Confirmation Copy
14TH MARCH 1979.
ITEM 3. BRITAIN'S FOREIGN SECRETARY TO VISIT ASIA
BY FRED WILSON LPS CHIEF DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT 14 MARCH
BRITAIN'S FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY, DR DAVID OWEN, IS TO VISIT A NUMBER OF COUNTRIES IN THE FAR EAST AND SOUTH EAST ASIA NEXT MONTH, IT WAS ANNOUNCED IN LONDON TONIGHT.
FIRST HE WILL BE GOING TO PEKING FOR THREE DAYS FOR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, VISITING SRI LANKA AND HONG KONG EN ROUTE. HE WILL THEN GO ON TO MALAYSIA. SINGAPORE AND THAILAND BEFORE RETURNING VIA BANGLADESH AND INDIA.
DR OWEN, WHO WILL BE IN PEKING FROM 12-15 (TWELVE-FIFTEEN) APRIL, WILL BE TAKING UP AN INVITATION GIVEN TO HIM BY THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER DURING HIS VISIT TO BRITAIN FROM 10 (TEN) - 14 (FOURTEEN) OCTOBER LAST YEAR. HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH MR HUANG HUA ARE EXPECTED TO COVER A WIDE RANGE OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ISSUES AS WELL AS SOME BILATERAL QUESTIONS.
-THE SITUATION IN SOUTH EAST ASIA WILL DOUBTLESS BE DISCUSSED. BRITAIN HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT SHE HOPES THE CHINESE WITHDRAWAL FROM VIETNAM WILL BE COMPLETED QUICKLY AND THAT THE VIETNAMESE WILL ALSO WITHDRAW THEIR FORCES FROM CAMBODIA.
DR OWEN'S VISIT IS NOT (NOT) CONNECTED WITH THE HARRIER. COMMER -CIAL NEGOTIATIONS ARE CONTINUING AND ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE CONCLUDED FOR SOME TIME NOR IS HIS VISIT A FOLLOW-UP TO MR VARLEY'S WHOSE DISCUSSIONS WERE PRIMARILY COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL. DR OWEN WILL BE CONCENTRATING ON POLITICAL ISSUES. HONG KONG WILL WILL CERTAINLY BE DISCUSSED AND THE NEED TO MAINTAIN THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG WILL BE VERY MUCH IN OR OWEN'S MIND.
THE DETAILS OF HIS PROGRAMME HAVE STILL TO BE WORKED OUT. HE WILL BE THE GUEST OF MR HUANG HUA. BUT WILL ALSO MEET OTHER SENIOR GOVERNMENT MINISTERS.
DR OVEN HAS NOT PREVIOUSLY VISITED HONG KONG. HE WILL HAVE D13- CUSSIONS WITH THE GOVERNOR AND OTHERS AND WILL SEE SOMETHING OF DEVELOPMENTS IN THE TERRITORY.
BRITAIN HAS CLOSE AND LONG ESTABLISHED LINKS WITH THE ASEAN - COUNTRIES, MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE, THAILAND, THE PHILIPPINES AND INDONE -SA) AND UR OVEN WILL BE ABLE TO RENEW THE ACQUA INTANCE
OF THE LEADERS OF THE COUNTRIES TO BE VISITED. THE PEACE AND STA -BILITY OF THE ASEAN REGION IS A MAJOR BRITISH CONCERN.
THE FOREIGN SECRETARY'S VISIT WILL ALSO PROVIDE A VALUABLE OPPO- RTUNITY FOR PERSONAL DISCUSSIONS WITH A NUMBER OF COMMONWEALTH COLLEAGUES. THE GOVERNMENT, OF COURSE, ATTACHES GREAT IMPORTANCE TO MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMONWEALTH.
DR OWEN WILL LEAVE LONDON 9 (NINE) APRIL AND RETURN ON THE 21ST (TWENTYFIRST).