GRS 600
RESTRICTED
FM PEKING
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 2322
OF 040904Z DECEMBER 86
RESTRICTE
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, SHANGHAI
ARK
016/2
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
10 DEC 1986
RA
(86
FCO FOR FED
181
D
DESK OFFICER INDEX
PA
PEGISTRY Action Taken
10
12
YOUR TELNO.1381.
VISIT BY MR. WALDEN, 25-28 NOVEMBER.
1. WITH A NUMBER OF MINOR VARIATIONS, MR WALDEN'S VISIT TO CHINA FOLLOWED THE PROGRAMME OUTLINE IN SHANGHAI'S TELNO.284 AND MY
TELNO.2157.
HE WAS WARMLY RECEIVED AND THERE WERE FREQUENT REFERENCES TO THE
CLOSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA. MR. WALDEN'S SPEECH
IN CHINESE AT THE INAUGURATION OF NINGBO UNIVERSITY WAS PARTICULARLY
SUCCESSFUL. HE WAS ABLE IN DISCUSSION THERE WITH VICE-PREMIER WAN
LI TO AFFIRM BRITAIN'S INTEREST IN CO-OPERATING OVER THE ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT OF THE NINGBO AREA, ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE PORT, IRON
AND STEEL AND TELEPHONE SERVICE PROJECTS. HE ALSO TOOK THE
OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN BRITAIN'S CAPABILITY IN PROVIDING HIGH
QUALITY TRAINING FOR CHINESE STUDENTS.
2. IN ADDITION TO WAN LI, MR WALDEN MET TWO VICE-GOVERNORS OF ZHEJIANG, XU QICHAO AND LI DEBAO, AND THE MAY OF NINGBO, GENG DIANHUA, WHOM HE INVITED TO VISIT BRITAIN IN 1987. (I AM WRITING TO HIM TO CONFIRM A COI CATEGORY I VISIT). THE INAUGURATION OF NINGBO
UNIVERSITY WAS ATTENDED BY MOST OF Y K PAO'S IMMEDIATE FAMILY, BY
SERVERAL REPRESENTATIVES OF BRITISH COMPANIES WHICH HAD CONTRIBUTED
TO THE BUILDING FUND, AND BY MANY ZHEJIANG NOTABLES. IT WAS CLEARLY
REGARDED LOCALLY AS A MAJOR EVENT IN THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT OF THE AREA.
3. IN PEKING, MR WALDEN'S HOST WAS MR HUANG XINBAI, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE STATE EDUCATION COMMISSION, WITH WHOM HE DISCUSSED MATTERS OF MUTUAL INTEREST. IN PARTICULAR, HUANG STRESSED SEDC'S CONCERN THAT CHINESE STUDENTS STUDYING ABROAD SHOULD RETURN TO CHINA WHEN THEIR
COURSES WERE COMPLETED. FOR THIS REASON SEDC WELCOMED SPLIT PHD
ARRANGEMENTS. THE COMMISSION GENERALLY WELCOMED THE VISIT AS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO REAFFIRM THEIR WISH FOR GROWING LINKS WITH BRITAIN IN
HIGHER EDUCATION.
4. THROUGH VISITS TO THE PEKING FOREIGN STUDIES UNIVERSITY, THE
INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS, THE CEWNTRAL ACADEMY OF FINE ART AND NO. 8 MIDDLOY SCHOOL, MR WALDEN ALSO MET SOME LEADING
ACADEMICS AND EDUCATIONISTS AND GAINED SOME INSIGHT INTO THE CURRENT
EDUCATIONAL SCENE IN CHINA. WITH Y K PAO HE ATTENDED A BANQUET
GIVEN BY STATE COUCILLOR GU MU AT THE STATE GUEST HOUSE.
RESTRICTED
15.