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Dücursed with If Donald.
(Altachments aetater).
Mr Donald
cc: PS/Mr Luce
PS/PUS
Mr Giffard
Hd/FED
Mr Roberts News Dept
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: VISIT BY UNOFFICIALS TO LONDON
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58).
In Hong Kong tel 835, the Governor reports his discussion yesterday with the Unofficials on their proposed visit to London. They would like to arrive over the weekend 2/3 July and have meetings on 4 and 5 July. As indicated in our tel 545, this would be acceptable to Ministers here.
The Governor would now like to go firm on these dates and to make an early announcement.
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Since the Prime Minister may have views on the wording of the announcement, I attach a short letter to No 10. As you will see I have suggested the addition of a few words at the beginning of the announcement to give the impression that this is a fairly routine visit and not one that has been brought about by some major development in the talks.
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In anticipation of No 10 agreeing, I also attach a draft telegram to Hong Kong. In this you will see that I have just asked the Governor to confirm that he is quite happy for the Unofficials to arrive a day after him. There seems to me to be a slightly greater risk of their speaking off the cuff to any press present if the Governor is not actually with them. But the main thing is that they will be returning to HongKong together.
HKCK 026/5
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
23 JUN 1983
نا کیا
21 June 1983
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA.
REGISTRY
Action Taken
W Morris
Hong Kong Department
PS: I have just seen Peking tel 570 in which Zhou Nan is reported as
suggesting (para 4) that substantive talks might begin on 4 July. If this turns out to be the case then I imagine the Governor may wish to reconsider the timing of the Unofficial's visit. It might be difficult to fit it in before then. Perhaps therefore, instead of writing to No 10 now, we should go back to the Governor to seek his further views. We do not want to have the visit announced and then have to put it off because the start of substantive talks coincides. Can we discuss?
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