From the Private Secretary
CONFIDENTIAL
нкі)
OROIT
10 DOWNING STREET
MKK040/57
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
Dear Lew,
HONG KONG:
100CT 1984
LICER
FA
SIGNATURE
TRY
کرمی کہا
eslah lee St. & Cradock
4 October 1984
Row Bond
3
Ihr Boyd will wish t take account or His in
letter he is preparing
a He PM's travels.
AGREEMENT
The Prime Minister told the Foreign Secretary this evening that she would go to Peking to sign the Hong Kong Agreement. This seemed to be what the Hong Kong people wanted. She assumed that Sir Geoffrey would go with her.
There was some discussion of whether to go before or after Christmas. It was agreed that, from the point of view of allowing officials to spend the Christmas/New Year period with their families, it would be better to go before Christmas. The Prime Minister made clear that she was ready in principle to do this. But if she was to visit other countries in the region after signing the Agreement, it would have to be after Christmas; she could not be away too long while Parliament was sitting.
Equally, if the coal strike was still on, she would go only to Hong Kong and Peking.
It was agreed to postpone a decision on timing and the inclusion of other countries until the beginning of November. You will want to consider, however, whether we need to say something more definite to the Chinese Government about the Prime Minister's intentions, without being specific about the timing, before this.
yes
sincerek,
is
C.D. POWELL
Лю
L.V. Appleyard, Esq.,
Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
CONFIDENTIAL