CODE 18-77
SS B/78
Mr R C Fursland
FED
3
CONFIDENTIAL
Reference
никого / 17
RECE
•
31 JUL 1980
STRY
LA
INDEX
VISIT TO THE FAR EAST BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE
1. The RAF are fully seized of the need for a VCO for the Secretary of State when he undertakes his tour of Far Eastern capitals in September.
2.
On present planning Lord Carrington will leave the UK on 21/22 September for New York where he will pay his annual visit to the UN General Assembly. His programme in New York finishes with a dinner on the evening of 24 September but UN Department have asked whether his departure could be set for the late morning of 25 September so as to allow for any last minute consultations or bilaterals which may be considered desirable.
3. The arrangements currently being canvassed are that the VC 10 should position itself in New York on either 24 or 25 September and that any members of the accompanying party who are not already in New York should travel out from the UK in the aircraft.
4. I have no comments on the delegation itself which appears at Annex C of the draft submission and which is almost identical with that which accompanied Mr Crosland in 1976. The Head of News Department has put in a bid to take his PA with him. They will1 both be in New York with the Secretary of State immediately before. the departure for the Far East.
5. I have obtained the following flying times from the RAF covering both the internal journeys and the exit from China : -
Shanghai Urumqui
2 hours
4 hours 55
50 minutes
Peking Shanghai
Peking
Xian
1 hour 50
Xian
Urumqui
Peking
Chengdu
3 hours 10 2 hours 20
Chengdu
Chongqing
Peking
Chongqing
2 hours 20
Xi an
Chengdu
1 hour 25
Xi an
Chongqing
1 hour 25
Chongqing-
Urumqui
3 hours 20
Chengdu
Kunmig
1 hour 20
Chongqing-
Kunming
1 hour 20
The RAF have asked me to point out that past experience has shown that the Chinese may wish to fly the Secretary of State and his party between these destinations themselves in their own aircraft. There is a question mark against the capability of the airports at Xian, Chongqing and Kunming as to whether the VC 10 aircraft can operate from there. The Ministry of Defence have asked if we can enquire from the Defence Attaché in Peking whether these airports are
usable in all weathers by a VC 10.
CONFIDENTIAL
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