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approach was being made on the basis of an old friendship. Aitken defended this rather unorthodox method on the grounds that the Commission preferred not to have any contact with any member state in Brussels at this stage for fear that the French would hear of it and try and prevent the mission taking place and this, incidentally, may be another reason why they want to keep away from Embassies in Peking. However, he understood that if I were to pursue the matter, UKREP Brussels would have to be brought in on it. That apart, I said that I could think of no objections from the Hong Kong point of view to the two Commission officials being given an informal run-down on the latest situation in China, as seen through Hong Kong-British eyes. It would be up to Hong Kong to add what they felt they could on China's policy towards resources exploitation, including uranium. The visitors do not, as yet, have an itinerary for the trip and do not expect to get details until they arrive in Peking.
6.
The four Commission officials will be accompanied by 6 national experts, including 1 Briton, who have been invited in their personal capacities. The Commission fear of French interference may be over- stated but reflects France's jealousy over any Commission role in nuclear matters. From the point of view of wider EC/China relations, we here can see no harm in the visit and would like to give it whatever support we can. However, your briefing of the Commission officials would have to go unacknowledged for fear of French and possibly Dutch reaction, hence the rather round about way in which the matter has been approached. We would, therefore, need to guard against any leaks of the arrangements to our partners in Brussels or in Peking.
7.
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This letter has been seen in draft by other interested departments in the FCO and we all hope that you or Iain Orr would feel able to meet Davies and Aitken and to introduce them to someone, perhaps from BTC or Economic Services Branch, who could fill them in on the details of Chinese resources policy. They plan to arrive in Hong Kong on morning of 24 April, departing for China on the CAAC flight at 1400 on 25 April. They would therefore be available either during the afternoon of 24 April or the following morning. Providing you - and of course UKREP Brussels and Peking see no objections, I should be grateful if something could be set up. It would be useful if I could have a telegraphic reply, including details of whom they should contact on arrival in Hong Kong.
Yours
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www
cc:
M W Atkinson Esq, Peking
P Morrice
Hong Kong & General Department
R B Bone Esq, UKREP Brussels Chancery, The Hague
PA B Thomson Esq, BTC, Hong Kong
FED
ESSD
ECD (E) ECD (I) JINII
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