GRS 498
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 280100Z
FM FCO 2721212 NOV 84
TO IMMEDIATE JAKARTA
CONFIDENTIAL
TO:
153
2408 2
-
HKK
040/57.
RECEIVED IN REGISTKY
2 9 NOV 1984
DESK OFFICER
PA
TELEGRAM NUMBER 271 OF 27 NOVEMBER
INDEX
AND TO IMMEDIATE KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE
احمد
INFO IMMEDIATE COLOMBO
PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO CHINA
1. THE PRIME MINISTER WILL BE VISITING PEKING, HONG KONG AND
WASHINGTON FROM 17-23 DECEMBER. AN ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE MADE
ABOUT THE FAR EAST VISIT AT 0900Z 28 NOVEMBER (THE WASHINGTON VISIT
WILL BE ANNOUNCED A FEW HOURS LATER).
2. WE WOULD NOT (NOT) WANT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT TO CAUSE ANY
RESENTMENT ON THE PART OF YOUR HOST GOVERNMENTS. PLEASE THEREFORE
TELL HOST GOVERNMENTS, IN ADVANCE AND IN STRICT CONFIDENCE, OF
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IN THE COURSE OF 28 NOVEMBER. COLOMBO HAVE
DISCRETION TO ACT SIMILARLY IF THEY THINK IT DESIRABLE.
3.
IN DOING SO, YOU SHOULD DRAW ON THE FOLLOWING POINTS:
(A) THE VISIT TO PEKING IS EXCEPTIONAL: IT IS BEING UNDERTAKEN
BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO SIGN THE AGREEMENT ON HONG KONG BEFORE
THE END OF THE YEAR.
(B) THE PRIME MINISTER REMAINS PARTICULARLY KEEN TO REINSTATE
HER VISIT TO SOUTH EAST ASIA WHEN THE INDUSTRIAL SITUATION PERMITS
AND IS LOOKING FOR SUITABLE DATES IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1985.
(C) IF ASKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF EXTENDING HER VISIT TO
CHINA AND HONG KONG TO INCLUDE OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES YOU SHOULD
SAY THAT SADLY THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE.(WE JUDGE THAT IN ANY CASE
NEITHER THE MALAYSIANS NOR THE INDONESIANS WOULD HAVE WANTED
THIS.)
4. FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION, THE PRIME MINISTER DOES NOT WISH TO
ENTER INTO ANY FIRM COMMITMENT ABOUT HER VISIT TO SOUTH EAST
ASIA AT THIS STAGE. WE KNOW (DONALD'S TELELETTER TO BOYD OF
31 OCTOBER AND KUALA LUMPUR TELNO 385) THAT THERE ARE DIFFICULTIES
FOR HOST GOVERNMENTS ABOUT DATES IN THE FIRST PART OF THE YEAR,
BUT IT MAY STILL BE POSSIBLE TO FIND A MUTUALLY CONVENIENT TIME
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CONFIDENTIAL