PA
on
Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1A 2AH
1) Immigration MA
from China
4) Strength of the Garsion. 2)
Telephone 01- 233-3181
65
CONFIDENTIAL
M Howarth Esq
DS5
Ministry of Defence Main Building Whitehall SW1
Bu
10/5
NCTED 12
Your reference
Our reference
Date
10 April 1979
HKK 341/1
REDDIVEN
SHIP VISITS TO CHINA
1.
Thank you for your letter of 4 April to Colin Munro who is at present on leave.
NIR.
2. A visit to China in 1980 by Task Group 318.0 remains our priority. We believe that the RN's first visit to China for 30 years ought to be a major occasion. But, we can see advantages in preceding this by a smaller scale visit this year. The Chinese would be pleased if we could meet their request for an early visit and the Soviet Union's reaction to the 1980 visit might be tempered if there had been one on a smaller scale this year. Perhaps, VCNS would bear this in mind when speaking to his Chinese opposite number. A visit to the Soviet Union to balance the one to China would be appropriate and we suggest that this matter which has already been the subject of FCO/MOD discussion should be taken up formally after the May election.
3. It has also been suggested that there would be great value in a naval visit to Hong Kong at this time. Would it be possible for part of the group 317.8 to be diverted to "show the flag"? The Governor believes that this would boost morale in the Colony, which for a number of reasons has flagged somewhat recently. A visit to Hong Kong need not be dependent on a diversion of the Task Group to China.
cc:
Mr Fursland, FED Mr Ling, HK&GD Mr Crow, EESD
CONFINEMITAT,
Miss A Johns
Defence Department