GRS 1200
SECRET
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 25093OZ FCO
TELNO 434
OF 250704Z MARCH 86
Secret
HRK Olli
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
26 MAR 1986
INFO DESKBY 260100Z HONG KONG
DECK OFFICEA
INDEX
PA
TOP CO
REGISTRY
Action Taken
MIPT:
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, THE BASIC LAW AND THE 1987 REVIEW.
1. GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE AND DELICACY OF THE WHOLE EXERCISE, BY FAR
THE BEST WAY OF LAUNCHING IT WOULD BE THROUGH A MEETING BETWEEN
THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND WU XUEQIAN. WU HAS MENTIONED HIS
FRIENDSHIP FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE, AND THE HIGH REGARD IN WHICH HE HOLDS HIM, TO ME ON AT LEAST THREE OCCASIONS DURING THE PAST FEW MONTHS.
2. IT LOOKS FROM YOUR TELEGRAM NO.396 TO HONG KONG AS IF IT WOULD
BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO MEET WU AT ANY TIME DURING THE WEEK WHICH BEGINS ON SUNDAY, 25 MAY. I WONDER, HOWEVER, WHETHER IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO OFFER
TO GO OVER TO BRUSSELS FOR A MEETING WITH WU ON 22 MAY (A THURSDAY)
OR 23 MAY. ALTHOUGH WU WILL BE MEETING COMMISSIONERS AS WELL AS
MEMBERS OF THE BELGIAN GOVERNMENT DURING HIS TIME IN BRUSSELS, IT LOOKS AS IF HE WILL HAVE TWO AND A HALF DAYS THERE BEFORE GOING ON TO LUXEMBOURG. ( I WILL ASK MY BELGIAN AND LUXEMBOURG COLLEAGUES FOR DETAILS OF HIS PROGRAMME IN THEIR TWO CAPITALS.) WU'S PROGRAMME FOR THE WHOLE OF HIS TOUR REMAINS AS GIVEN IN MY TELEGRAM NOM363.
3. AN ADVANTAGE OF PROPOSING A MEETING IN A THIRD COUNTRY IS THAT
THE PROPOSAL WOULD BE LESS LIKELY TO BE REJECTED ON THE GROUNDS THAT
ITS ACCEPTANCE WOULD DISCONCERT THE GOVERNMENTS OF OTHER EUROPEAN
COUNTRIES (EG FRANCE AND GERMANY) WHICH WU IS NOT DUE TO VISIT
DURING HIS EUROPEAN TOUR. ALTERNATIVELY, IT MIGHT PERHAPS BE POSSIBLE TO PERSUADE WU TO SPEND 24 HOURS IN LONDON BEFORE ARRIVING
IN HELSINKI ON 12 MAY. WE DO NOT KNOW HIS TRAVEL DETAILS BUT THERE
ARE RUMOURS THAT HE WILL FLY TO HELSINKI BY SCHEDULED FLIGHTS
VIA MOSCOW OR FRANKFURT.
4. IF IT TURNS OUT TO BE POSSIBLE FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO
PROPOSE A MEETING WITH WU, I THINK THAT I SHOULD PUT THE PROPOSAL
TO THE CHINESE WITHIN THE NEXT TEN DAYS. WU WILL BE VISITING JAPAN
DURING THE MIDDLE OF APRIL (THE LATEST DATES WE HAVE ARE 11 APRIL
TO 17 APRIL), AND IT WOULD BE BETTER IF I COULD DELIVER A MESSAGE
TO HIM PERSONALLY THAN TO ZHOU NAN OR ANYONE ELSE. WU WILL HAVE
TO APPEAR AT SEVERAL OF THE SESSIONS OF THE MEETING OF THE NATIONAL
PEOPLE'S CONGRESS WHICH OPENS TODAY. BUT, ON PAST FORM, HE WILL NOT NEED TO APPEAR VERY MUCH IF AT ALL. NEXT WEEK.
Secret
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