CODE 18-77
Miss Johns
Defence Dept
E 321
SHIP VISITS TO CHINA
CONFIDENTIAL
Reference.
HKK 4 074/1
RECENTED M
DESK INDE
*
19 JUL 1979
||A
NIR 1. You asked for comment on DS5's letter to you of 6 June on this subject.
2. Since the Chinese have never issued a formal invitation for a ship visit this year, and the MOD would find it difficult to arrange one, I agree that this suggestion should now be dropped. There is no danger that the Chinese will persist in their
suspected
feeling that we have "neglected" them over ship visits, if the planned visit for next year goes ahead.
3.
It is for EESD to make the case for a parallel visit to the Soviet Union; and I accept that there is a principle of balance here. But we need to be flexible. It would be impracticable to expect any balance sought to be exact, or to be immediately achievable. In any case, as noted in my minute of 5 April to you, Ministers will have to be consulted on this presumably by your department, in consultation with EESD and FED. Can this be set in hand urgently?
4. We agreed in an exchange of minutes in mid-March that we did not understand what the MOD meant by the "handling" of the China visit. Perhaps you could find out what they want; then we can provide advice.
18 July 1979
cc: Mr Crow (EESD W103)
Mr Williamson (HKGD K 242)
веси
RC Fursland
Far Eastern Department K 255 233 5539