324
GPS200
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY FCO 13093OZ
DESK BY PEKING 13100OZ
334 see
CONFIDENTAL TOP COPY
HUK 040/57
AECEIVED IN REGISTRY
13 DEC 1984
DESK OFFICER
350
se 341
FM HONG KONG 13084OZ DEC 84
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 3780 OF 13 DECEMBER
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
INDEX
REGISTRY
PA
Action Taken
W
17/12
PEKING TELNO 1539: PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT: HONG KONG ATTENDANCE
1. THE CEREMONY IS TO BE A JOINT OCCASION. I CAN THEREFORE SEE NO REASON AT ALL WHY THE EMBASSY SHOULD NOT MAKE IT CLEAR, WHEN THE DETAILED ARRANGMENTS ARE DISCUSSED, THAT THE BRITISH SIDE WILL EXPECT TO NOMINATE HALF OF THOSE APPEARING IN THE FRONT RANK OF THE OBSERBERS. DEPENDING ON HOW THE OBSERVERS ARE GROUPED, IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE APART FROM THE TWO SENIORS TO INCLUDE ALL OR MOST OF THE UMELCO MEMBERS ATTENDING IN OUR ** HALF OF THE FRONT RANK (IN: PARTICULAR THE OTHER EXCO MEMBERS: SANDBERG, Q W LEE AND MARIA TAM).
2. THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THE HONG KONG OPOPULATION WILL PROBABLY SEE THE SIGNATURE CEREMONY ON TELEVISION AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. THEY WILL EXPECT THE ARRANGEMENTS TO HAVE BEEN JOINTLY AGREED. IT WILL CREATE A VERY POOR IMPRESSION IF, APART FROM SIR S Y CHUNG AND MR LOBO, THE FRONT RANK IS OCCUPIED ENTIRELY BY NPC AND CPPCC DELEGATES AND OTHER CHINESE NOMINEES. I THEREFORE HOPE THAT THE AMBASSADOR CAN SPEAK VERY MUCH MORE ROBUSTLY THAN IS SUGGESTED IN YOUR TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE.
3. THERE CAN BE NO CHINESE COMPLAINT ABOUT RAISING OUR BID GIVEN THE EXTENT TO WHICH THEY HAVE GONE THEIR OWN WAY IN RESPECT OF INVITATIONS TO PEOPLE OF THEIR CHOICE.
YOUDE
LIMITED
HKD
FED
PROTOCOL D
MR WILSON.
COPIES TO
SIR
P. CRADOCK (2)
CONFIDENTIAL