DSR 11 (Revised)
CONFIDENTIAL
BRIEF
DRAFT:
minute letter/teleletter/despatch/nate
FROM:
DEPARTMENT:
TEL. NO:
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION]
TO:
Top Secret
Secret
Confidential
Restricted
Unclassified
TYPE: Draft/Final 1+
Reference
Your Reference
Copies to:
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
SUBJECT: LORD PRIVY SEAL'S VISIT TO CHINA:
4-8 JANUARY 1982
CAVEAT.......
STEERING BRIEF
Enclosures-flag(s)...
Introduction
1.
The Lord Privy Seal's visit falls conveniently between that by Lord Carrington in April 1981 and the prospective visit of the Prime Minister in September 1982. Three British Foreign and Commonwealth Secretaries have visited China
(Sir Alec Douglas Home in 1972, Mr Crosland in 1976 and Lord Carrington in 1981). There have been four
visits to the UK by Chinese Foreign Ministers (Ji Pengfei in 1973; and Huang Hua in 1978, in 1979 with then Chairman Hua, and briefly in October 1980; Huang Hua also transitted London in November 1981 and had a brief meeting with Mr Luce).
2.
In recent years and particularly since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan we have sought to strengthen our political links with China both through Ministerial visits and through normal diplomatic
Mr Atkins' saye it will maintain the The timing is
exchanges.
momentum.
visit
It is particularly appropriate; that there should be a visit at this time... March 1982 marks
CONFIDENTIAL
/the