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FM HONG KONG 12081OZ MAR 84
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 654 OF 12 MARCH
AMENDED DISTRIBUTINCI
12/3
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING (PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR)
SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISITS TO HONG KONG AND CHINA
14 MAR 1984
in has
Thi
1. AS A RESULT OF PRESS REPORTS AND OTHER STATEMENTS, UMELCO HAVE BEGUN TO FOCUS ON THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE SECRETARY OF
STATE MIGHT ALSO VISIT CHINA WHEN HE COMES TO HONG KONG.
2. AT THEIR REGULAR MEETING WITH THE SECRETARY (GENERAL DUTIES) AND THE POLITICAL ADVISER ON 9 MARCH UMELCO MEMBERS WERE STRONCLY OF THE VIEW THAT, IF HE DID, THE IDEAL ARRANGEMENT WOULD BE FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO VISIT HONG KONG BEFORE AND AFTER GOING TO CHINA. IF THAT WERE NOT POSSIBLE HE SHOULD COME TO HONG
KONG FIRST SO THAT HE COULD SPEAK TO CHINESE LEADERS WITH PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE STATE OF OPINION HERE. SIR S.Y. CHUNG ASKED THAT THIS VIEW SHOULD BE REFLECTED TO LONDON AS THE STRONG PREFERENCE OF ALL UMELCO MEMBERS.
3. THE PRESENT PLAN IS FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO GO TO VISIT
PEKING AND VISIT HONG KONG AFTERWARDS. I CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT
THIS IS RIGHT. IT WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE PERSONALLY TO TELL EXCO ABOUT HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH CHINESE LEADERS AND DISCUSS WITH THEM FUTURE STRATEGY IN THE LIGHT OF THESE DISCUSSIONS. THERE IS ALSO THE VERY IMPORTANT PLAN THAT HE SHOULD MAKE A PUBLIC STATEMENT HERE AS THE FIRST STEP IN THE PROCESS OF **UNVEILING''. SUBJECT TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S TRAVEL PLANS, IT WOULD BE OPEN TO HIM TO MAKE A BRIEF STOPOVEP IN HONG KONG ON
HIS WAY TO PEKING, AND TO MEET EXCO THEN, BUT IN THE LIGHT OF
CURRENT CHINESE SENSITIVITIES ABOUT THE THREE LEGGED STOOL** |
AM NOT SURE THAT THIS WOULD BE WISE.
4. AN ALTERNATIVE WAY TO MEET UMELCO'S CONCERNS WOULD BE FOR SELECTED UMELCO MEMBERS TO CALL ON THE SECRETARY OF STATE IN LONDON BEFORE HE LEAVES FOR THE FAR EAST. THREE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF EXCO (SIR S.Y. CHUNG, MR Q.W. LEE AND MR S.L. CHEN) ARE ALREADY PLANNING TO BE IN LONDON ON POLYTECHNIC BUSINESS IN THE WEEK BEGINNING 9 APRIL. IF MR LOBO (THE SENIOR LEGCO UNOFFICIAL) JOINED THEM I MIGHT BE ABLE TO PERSUADE THEM THAT THE GROUP COULD REPRESENT UMELCO AS A WHOLE, IF UMELCO WERE NOT CONTENT WITH THIS, IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO ARRANGE FOR TWO OR THREE LEGCO MEMBERS TO GO TO LONDON AT THE SAME TIME. THIS WOULD BE MORE COMPLICATED BECAUSE LEGCO MEMBERS ARE NOT PRIVY TO THE TALKS AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A SEPARATE
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