OQ PEKING
GRS 404
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 121720Z OCTOBER 84
CONFIDENTIAL
སཏྭཱ, བྷཏཱ ཝམཱ
HKK 040/144
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
1 50CT 1984
RE
PA
Act..
.en
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1322 OF 12 OCT
16/106014/0
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG (PERSONAL FOR ACTING GOVERNOR)
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: SIGNATURE OF AGREEMENT
1.
THE PRIME MINISTER HAS DECIDED IN PRINCIPLE THAT SHE WILL
HERSELF GO TO PEKING, ACCOMPANIED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE, TO
SIGN THE HONG KONG AGREEMENT. SHE WILL ALSO VISIT HONG KONG.
2. THE PRIME MINISTER HAS NOT/NOT YET DECIDED ON THE EXACT
TIMING OF THE VISIT, OR ON THE POSSIBLE INCLUSION OF OTHER
COUNTRIES IN HER ITINERARY. SHE WISHES TO POSTPONE THESE
DECISIONS, WHICH WILL BE TAKEN IN THE LIGHT OF DOMESTIC
DEVELOPMENTS, UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER.
3. IT IS HOWEVER CLEARLY DESIRABLE THAT THE CHINESE SHOULD
BE TOLD SOON OF THE PRIME MINISTER'S DECISION OF PRINCIPLE.
WANT TO BE CERTAIN THAT WHAT WE EVENTUALLY PROPOSE WILL BE
COMPATIBLE WITH CHINESE PLANS, AND IN PARTICULAR THAT PREMIER
ZHAO ZIYANG WILL BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THE PRIME MINISTER AT THE
TIME IN QUESTION.
WE
4. UNLESS YOU SEE OBJECTION THEREFORE YOU SHOULD CALL ON ZHOU
NAN AND SPEAK AS FOLLOWS:
(A)
(B)
WHEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE MET WU XUEQIAN IN NEW YORK LAST
MONTH HE MENTIONED INFORMALLY THAT THE PRIME MINISTER HOPED
TO BE ABLE TO VISIT PEKING IN DECEMBER TO SIJN THE AGREEMENT
HERSELF. YOU CAN NOW CONFIRM THAT SHE DOES INDEED INTEND,
IF CIRCUMSTANCES PERMIT, TO GO TO PEKING HERSELF TO SIGN THE
AGREEMENT. THIS WOULD APPROPRIATELY CONVEY THE HIGH
IMPORTANCE WHICH WE ATTACH TO THE AGREEMENT.
WHILE NO FINAL DECISION ON TIMING HAS YET BEEN MADE, THE
VISIT WOULD IN PRACTICE HAVE TO TAKE PLACE EITHER IN THE 10
DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS OR THE LAST FEW DAYS IN DECEMBER. WE
WILL CONFIRM WHICH OF THESE TWO ALTERNATIVES THE PRIME
MINISTER WISHES TO PURSUE AS SOON AS SHE IS IN A POSITION TO
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