GR 350
SECRET
FM HONG KONG 23100OZ OCT 84
TO PRIORITY FCO
SECRET KKK 026/11 (126)
TOP COF
LOV 1984
REGISTRY Acu in Taken
DAM
TELEGRAM NUMBER 3291 OF 23 OCTOBER
INFO PRIORITY TOKYO
125
YOUR TELNO 2102: HONG KONG ECONOMIC MISSION TO JAPAN.
1. THE VISIT TO JAPAN IS NOT A UMELCO VISIT, IT IS A FULL SCALE ECONOMIC MISSION LED BY SIR S.Y. CHUNG AS CHAIRMAN OF THE HONG KONG/JAPAN BUSINESS COOPERATION COMMITTEE, WHICH I SHALL ACCOMPANY, WITH MUCH THE SAME KIND OF PROGRAMME AS THAT ARRANGED FOR A SIMILAR ECONOMIC MISSION TO NEW YORK LAST JANUARY.
2. THE DATES FOR THE MISSION WERE SET AS LONG AGO AS LAST MAY. BOTH MR ESAKI, THE SENIOR LDP POLITICIAN AND CLOSE ASSOCIATE OF THE JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER, AND THE CONSUL-GENERAL OF JAPAN HAVE TOLD US OF THE IMPORTANCE WHICH THE JAPANESE ATTACH TO IT. ESAKI AND A NUMBER OF COLLEAGUES LUNCHED WITH ME TODAY.
3. THE MISSION IS TO BE RECEIVED BY THE JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER AND FOREIGN MINISTER AND HAVE MEETINGS WITH THE FINANCE MINISTER AND MINISTER FOR MITI. THERE IS ALSO TO BE A MAJOR HONG KONG TOY EXHIBITION AND DINNERS WILL BE GIVEN BY THE JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTRY AND MYSELF. THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY OF CHANGING THE ARRANGEMENTS NOW WITHOUT OFFENDING THE JAPANESE AND DISRUPTING AN IMPORTANT EVENT IN HONG KONG'S TRADE PROMOTION EFFORT IN
JAPAN.
4.
IN THE LIGHT OF THIS MEMBERS OF EXCO EXPRESSED THE STRONG HOPE IN THEIR DISCUSSION THIS MORNING THAT IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR
THE HOUSE OF COMMONS DEBATE TO TAKE PLACE IN THE WEEK OF 3 DECEMBER, SINCE IF IT SLIPPED TO DECEMBER 10, 11 OR 12 IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE FOR ME OR FOR SIR S.Y. CHUNG TO BE PRESENT.
5. IF, HOWEVER, THE DEBATE DOES SLIP INTO THE WEEK BEGINNING 10 DECEMBER IT IS STILL THEIR INTENTION TO SEND A DELEGATION TO LONDON IN THE WEEK BEGINNING 3 DECEMBER SINCE THEIR MAIN PURPOSE WILL BE TO ENSURE THAT MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT WERE AWARE OF THEIR VIEWS BEFORE THE DEBATE TAKES PLACE. MEMBERS WHO ARE NOT INVOLVED IN THE JAPAN VISIT WILL THEN STAY BEHIND TO LISTEN TO THE DEBATE.
6. I THINK IT WOULD BE WISE FOR ME TO BE IN LONDON AT THE SAME TIME AS THE UNOFFICIALS AND, UNLESS YOU SEE OBJECTION, I SHALL ARRANGE TO BE IN LONDON DURING THE WEEK BEGINNING 3 DECEMBER.
YOUDE
LIMITED HKD FED
PS/MR LUCE
SECRET
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