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EXEMPTION No. 27(1)
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RECORD OF INITIAL CALL ON SECRETARY OF STATE BY THE NEW CHINESE AMBASSADOR, MR HU DINGYI, 19 APRIL 1985
Present
Secretary of State
HE Mr Hu Dingyi
Mr S W F Martin, Protocol Dept
Mr Chen Feng, Private Secretary
MrP Ricketts
Mrs T Coe, FED
1.
The Secretary of State welcomed the Ambassador to the UK. Mr Hu explained that his posting had been brought forward to enable him to prepare for Premier Zhao's visit. He would like to use this opportunity to make one point about the visit. When Premier Hua visited the UK he had been met at the airport by the then Secretary of State and the Prime Minister. On her visit to Peking in December the Prime Minister had been met by Foreign Minister Wu, and Premier Zhao had attended the welcoming ceremony. Both the Foreign Minister and Assistant Foreign Minister Zhou Nan had asked him to convey to the Secretary of State their expectation that Premier Zhao would be similarly received. His visit to Britain was the first on his European tour and was particularly important.
3.
The Secretary of State assured the Ambassador that he looked forward personally to meeting Premier Zhao at the airport. Other arrangements for the visit were also well in hand and we would make every effort to ensure that the visit was a success.
4.
The Ambassador remarked on the importance of trade and economic cooperation in relations. Before China's "open door policy" diplomats were encouraged not to pursue trade links; now they were actively encouraged to be commercially minded. He had already met the Sino-British Trade Council. The Secretary of State commented on the success of Lord Young's mission in March. We were now looking urgently at ways of building on this. We also looked forward to visits to Britain this year by the Chinese Ministers for Culture, Environment and Agriculture. Three British Ministers and the Head of the Diplomatic Service would also be visiting China. This was a balanced exchange of visits and both sides would be working to build on them, further to develop relations. Likewise, the Prime Minister looked forward to welcoming Secretary General Hu Yaobang to this country.
5. The Secretary of State commented that the Hong Kong Agreement had been approved by the British Parliament and the National People's Congress. Our aim now was to achieve ratification before Premier Zhao's visit. The Secretary of State raised one point with the Ambassador, on membership of the Joint Liaison Group.
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