GRS 1220
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING Ø70800Z NOV 79
CONFIDENTIAL
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ALJINLO IN REGISTRY NO. 51
- 8 NOV 1979
269
TO PRIORITY FCO
INDEX
TELEGRAM NUMBER 969 OF 7 NOVEMBER
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG.
REGIS
Actio
PREMIER'S HUA'S VISIT.
1. I BELIEVE THE DEPARTMENT WILL BE PREPARING A DESPATCH
ON THIS VISIT. IN THE MEANTIME, YOU MAY FIND IT USEFUL TO
HAVE SOME QUICK PERSONAL IMPRESSIONS.
2. THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT IS THAT THE VISIT WAS A VERY
GREAT SUCCESS. IT DEMONSTRATED BEYOND DOUBT THE IMPORTANCÉ
WE ATTACH TO SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS, TO HUA'S VISIT AS MARKING
A NEW HIGH LEVEL IN THOSE RELATIONS AND TO THE VALUE OF A LARGE
BRITISH CONTRIBUTION TO CHINESE MODERNISATION OVER A LONG PERIOD OF YEARS. IT SHOWED BRITAIN AS AN ADVANCED, STABLE SOCIETY WITH LONG TRADITIONS BUT ALSO HIGH TECHNOLOGY, FINALLY, IN AN UNOFFICIAL AND UNSCRIPTED WAY, IT EXPRESSED THE WARMTH OF FEELING FOR CHINA AMONG BRITISH PEOPLE GENERALLY.
ALL THESE POINTS WERE TAKEN BY THE CHINESE,
3. THE VISIT ACHIEVED THESE OBJECTIVES PARTLY THROUGH CAREFUL PREPARATION AND EFFICIENT ORGANISATION, AND I AM MOST GRATEFUL TO ALL THOSE IN LONDON WHO LABOURED TO ACHIEVE THIS. THE LEVEL OF CEREMONIAL, ONLY JUST SHORT OF A STATE VISIT, CONVEYED THE POLITICAL MESSAGE. HER MAJESTY'S PERSON AL RECEPTION OF HUA AND HIS ENTERTAINMENT BY HRH THE DUKE OF KENT WERE CLEARLY OF MAJOR IMPORTANCE. BUT IN CHINESE EYES THE KEY ELEMENT WAS THE TALKS WITH THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE RELATIONSHIP ESTABLISHED BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENT LEADERS. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT FROM HER HANDLING OF THIS FLOWED THE SUCCESS OF THE VISIT AND
THE SPECIAL WARMTH DESCERNAIBLE AT THE END OF THE DAY.
CONFIDENTIAL
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