CONFIDENTIAL
114
मारE H
HKK 040/57
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
23 NOV 1984
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
کا ہے
London SW1A 2AH
19 November 1984
PA
Rel
Action Faken
Л
Dear Chutes
well
The Pot has wasted stion (:)
we have telegraful Peking
Prime Minister's Visit to Far East and United States:
Timings
دیریت ست
In your letter of today's date to Len Appleyard, you asked us to look at options for reconciling the Prime Minister's present programme in Peking and Hong Kong with President Reagan's proposal for talks and lunch at Camp David on the morning of Saturday 22 December.
(i)
There are in practice three options:
moving the whole Peking/Hong Kong visit forward by 24 hours.
Advantage:
The Prime Minister would be able to arrive in Washington on the evening of Friday 21 December and get a night's sleep before seeing the President as suggested on the morning of 22 December.
Disadvantage: The Prime Minister would have to miss PM's Questions on 18 December, and any engagements she may have on the morning of that day.
We would also have to ask the Chinese to move the signature ceremony forward a day. Without having consulted them, we do not believe that this should cause major difficulties. In confirming that the Chinese could accept the Prime Minister's visit on the dates we proposed, Zhou Nan said that the dates "fell within Premier Zhao's preferred period for the visit" which suggests that they have some flexibility on either side. We can see no reason why moving the visit to Hong Kong forward a day should cause the Governor in Hong Kong any problem. Dates have not been announced.
(ii)
Leaving the dates for Peking/Hong Kong as they are, but moving the proposed press conference in Hong Kong to the early evening of Friday 21 December, and leaving Hong Kong immediately after the Governor's dinner late on 21 December (departure at 2230 would give an arrival of 0935 at Andrews Air Force Base, Washington).
CONFIDENTIAL
/Advantage