CONFIDENTIAL
Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1A 2AH
Telephone 01. 233-3274
M Haworth Esq
DS 5
Ministry of Defence
Main Building Whitehall
}
Your reference
Our reference DPG 076/11
Date
3 August 1979
SHIPS VISIT TO CHINA
1. Please refer to your letter of 6 June to Alison Johns.
2. I spoke recently with you and handle the proposed visit of Task understand that:
Richard Spencer on how we should Group (TG) 318.0 to China.
i. you are about to write to the Fleet Programming Staff, commissioning a provisional programme for TG 318.0 confirming that plans for the Group's deployment should be centred around a visit to China, and that the Programming Staff may consult the DA Peking over logistical arrangements for the visit;
ii. when the Fleet Programmers have completed their draft provisional programme (in about three to four weeks) you will seek the FCO's comments; and
iii.
when your and FCO comments have been included the Fleet Programmers will be asked to "firm up" the programme.
I
3. We are content for you to proceed as above, with the proviso that it is made clear to the Fleet Programming Staff and the DA Peking that no approach should be made to the Chinese at this stage. We shall need to seek Ministerial approval before any such approach is made. Unless you consider that you are unable to proceed with provisional planning without Ministerial approval from the FCO, we do not propose to consult Ministers until we have received from you the draft provisional programme.
4.
We are still considering whether or not a balancing visit to
4
CONFIDENTIAL
/the