GRS 1100
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
AMENDED DISTRIBUTION
FROM PEKING 100339Z NOV 84
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 2736 OF 10 NOVEMBER
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
31
36
32
(71)
HICK 040/57
RECEIVE!
REGISTRY
14 NOV 1984
D
INDEX
PA
FFICER
REGISTRY
РА
Action Faken
YOUR TELNOS 1385 AND 1387 AND MY TELNO 2723: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO PEKING AND HONG KONG.
1. N CALLED TODAY ON ZHOU NAN AND PROPOSED THE DATES HN YOUR FIRST TUR. EXPLAINED THAT THE PRIME MINISTER COULD NOT LEAVE LONDON UNTIL THE EVENING OF 18 DECEMBER AFTER PRIME MINISTER'S QUESTIONS AND SO WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ARRIVE IN PEKING UNTIL LATE ON THE EVENING OF 19 DECEMBER. ALSO EXPLAINED THAT THE PRIME MINISTER WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE PEKING EARLY ON 21 DECEMBER FOR HONG KONG, WHERE SHE WOULD SPEND RATHER LESS THAN 24 HOURS BEFORE RETURNING TO LONDON ON 22 DECEMBER FOR A FURTHER ENGAGEMENT. # UNDERLINED THAT, DESPITE A CONSIDERABLE PRESS OF POLITICAL BUSH NESS AT HOME AT THE TIME, THE PRIME MINISTER WAS MAKING A BIG EFFORT TO COME TO PEKING TO SIGN THE AGREEMENT.
2. ZHOU SAMID THAT HE WOULD REPORT THE PROPOSED DATES TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND TO PREMIER ZHAO. THESE FELL WITHIN PREMIER ZHAO'S PREFERRED PERIOD FOR THE VISIT AND SO SHOULD NOT CAUSE HIM DIFFICULTIES. ZHOU SAID THAT HE THOUGHT ZHAO AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE PREFERRED A LONGER VISHT SEMI-COLON BUT THE REASONS WHICH HAD GIVEN FOR A SHORT VISIT WERE UNDERSTANDABLE
AND HE WOULD REPORT THEM.
3. ZHOU ASKED ABOUT THE LIKELY DATES OF DEBATES IN PARLIAMENT ON THE AGREEMENT. I TOLD HIM THAT MY BEST KNOWLEDGE WAS THAT THE COMMONS DEBATE WAS LIKELY TO TAKE PLACE IN THE WEEK BEGINNING 3 DECEMBER AND THE LORDS DEBATE THE FOLLOWING WEEK. HE ASKED WHETHER PARLIAMENT WOULD PASSA MOTION ON THE AGREEMENT. " SAID THAT MPS HAD SPOKEN TO RECENTLY HAD TOLD ME THAT THERE COULD BE A VOTE OR THE GOVERNMENT COULD PROCEED ON THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE. ADDED THAT HE WOULD HAVE READ WHAT WAS SAND IN THE PRELIMINARY PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE ON 25 OCTOBER: THE AGREEMENT HAD BEEN COMMENDED ON ALL SIDES OF THE HOUSE AND WARM TRIBUTES HAD BEEN PAID TO FOREIGN MINISTER WU. ZHOU NAN SAID THAT HE HAD
READ HANSARD AND HAD INFORMED WU.
4.
ON THE PROGRAMME FOR THE VISIT, SAND THAT SIGNATURE OF THE AGREEMENT WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE THE CENTRE-PIECE. THE PRIME MINISTER HOPED TO HOLD TALKS WITH PREMIER ZHAO AND TO MEET CHAYMAN DENG. AT ANY BANQUET WHICH MIGHT BE HELD ON THE EVENING OF 20 DECEMBER, SHE WOULD PROBABLY LIKE TO MAKE A SUBSTANTIAL SPEECH. #ASKED WHETHER THE CHINESE SIDE WOULS WISH SPEECHES TO BE MADE ALSO AT THE SIGNATURE CEREMONY. ZHOU ASKED WHETHER WE HAD A PREFERENCE. #SAID THAT TWO SETS OF SPEECHES WOULD NOT CAUSE US DIFFICULTIES
IF THIS WAS THE CHINESE PREFERENCE. ZHOU SAID THAT HE WOULD CONSULT
AND GIVE ME CHINESE VIEWS.-
IEW'S
IDENTIAL
15.