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SIX:
23 MAR 1984
FROM PEKING 221013Z MAR 34
HKK
RECEN ZA
TO IMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 547 OF 22/3/34
INFO TIMEDIATE HONG KONG
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YOUR TEL NO 244: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: YOUR VISIT TO CHINA.
1.
I CALLED ON ZHOU NAN THIS AFTERNOON (22 MARCH), I EXPLAINED THAT YOU WOULD HAVE A FULL PROCRAINE IN HONG KONG, WHICH YOU WERE PLANNING TO VISIT AFTER PEKING, AND THAT THE EASTER HOLIDAY MEANT THAT THE DATES FOR YOUR HONG KONG VISIT COULD NOT BE PUT BACK.
FURTHERMORE, YOUR VISITS TO KOREA AND JAPAN WERE ALREADY FIXED FOR THE FOLLOWING WEEK. I HAVE THEREFORE DEEN ASKED TO EXPLORE WITH HIM THE POSSIBILITY OF REVERTING TO YOUR ORIGINAL PROPOSAL FOR A VISIT TO PEKING ON 15-13 APRIL. YOU WOULD QUITE UNDERSTAND IF WU, HAVING JUST RETURNED FROM HIS OVERSEAS TOUR, WOULD PREFER JUST A SHORT MEETING ON 16 APRIL. ZHOU SAID THAT THESE DATES CONTINUED TO GIVE THE CHINESE THE DIFFICULTIES WHICH HAD LED THEM TO PROPOSE 17-20 APRIL. THE CHINESE PROPOSAL WAS WU XUEQIAN'S OWN PREFERENCE. WU ALSO WONDERED IF PEKING HAD TO BE THE FIRST LEC OF YOUR VISIT. ZHOU ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER POSSIBLE DATES.
I SAID THAT YOU WERE PLANNING TO VISIT PEKING FIRST. A POSS- IBILITY MIGHT BE FOR YOUR VISIT TO TAKE PLACE FROM THE MORNING CF 15 APRIL TC LUNCH TIME ON 13 APRIL. ZHOU SAID THAT THIS MOULD PAKE FOR A SHORTER VISIT. COULD YOU NOT REMAIN UNTIL 19 APRIL? IF NOT, YOUR VISIT TO PEKING WOULD BE SHORTER THAN YOUR VISIT TO HONG KONG. I SAID THAT IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO REMAIN IN PEKING BEYOND MEDAY ON 13 APRIL. YOUR VISIT TO HONG KONG WOULD NOT NECESSARILY DE LONGER DECAUSE YOU NIGHT NOT REMAIN THERE THPOUCHOUT THE EASTER HOLIDAY PERIOD. ZHOU SAID THAT THE CHINESE COULD NOT PROVIDE A COUNTER-PROPOSAL BETTER THAN 17-20 APRIL BECAUSE OF THE VISIT SHORTLY THE PEAFTER DY PRESIDENT REAGAN. HE WOULD DISCUSS THE TIMING OF YOUR VISIT AGAIN WITH WU AND LET ME KNOW HIS REACTION TO THE IDEA OF A VISIT FROM 16 APRIL TO 10 APRIL
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