GRS 400
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 07090OZ FCO
TELNO 496
OF 070618Z APRIL 86
CONFIDENTIAL
HRRO11/1
RECE
INFO DESKBY 07070OZ HONG KONG
- 8 APR 1986
(198)
YOUR TELNO 269: WU XUEQIAN
INDEX
1AB814.
1. ON RECEIPT OF YOUR TELEGRAM, TELEPHONED JIANG ENZHU, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE WESTERN EUROPEAN DEPARTMENT, TO ASK FOR A CALL ON WU. AT HIS REQUEST, GAVE HIM AN OUTLINE OF THE MESSAGE. THE DEPARTMENT LATER SUGGESTED A CALL TODY ON ZHOU NAN, TO WHICH -
AGREED.
2. ZHOU SAID THAT WU APOLOGISED FOR BEING UNABLE TO MEET ME N PERSON. HE WOULD BE BUSY ALL DAY WITH PREPARATIONS FOR HIS VISIT TO JAPAN. HAD ALREADY BRE:FED JHANG HIN OUTLANE AND THIS HAD GIVEN
ZHOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THE MATTER WITH WU. HE WAS THEREFORE
IN A POSITION TO MAKE SEVERAL POINTS ON WU'S BEHALF.
3. WU WAS GRATEFUL FOR YOUR MESSAGE, WHICH CAME FROM AN OLD FRIEND, AND ACCEPTED IN PRINCIPLE YOUR PROPOSAL FOR A MEETING. WU HAD NOTED THAT A MEETING NEAR LONDON WAS YOUR PREFERRED OPTION. BUT WU'S VISIT HINVOLVED MANY COUNTRIES AND A TIGHT SCHEDULE. TO REARRANGE THIS WOULD CAUSE DIFFICULTIES, NOT ONLY FOR THE CHINESE BUT ALSO FOR HOST COUNTRIES. WU THEREFORE CONSIDERED THAT THE SECOND SUGGESTION, A MEETING IN BRUSSELS ON 23 MAY, WOULD BE MORE **REALISTIC''. ZHOU ASKED WHETHER YOU WOULD BE MAKING A SEPCIAL TRIP TO BRUSSELS. H REPLIED THAT DID NOT KNOW YOUR PROGRAMME, BUT BELIEVED THAT, IF YOU WERE TO GO, YOU MIGHT ARRANGE OTHER MEETINGS THERE. ZHOU SAID THAT WU HAD A PRETTY FULL PROGRAMME ON 23 MAY. HOWEVER, IF YOU COULD AGREE, HE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO LUNCH ON 23 MAY AT THE CHINESE EMBASSY IN BRUSSELS. ZHOU ASKED AF COULD ELABORATE ON THE SUBJECTS
TO BE DISCUSSED AT THE PROPOSED MEETING.
4. THANKED ZHOU. 44 SAID THAT YOU WOULD BE VERY PLEASED TO RECEIVE WU'S POSTAVE RESPONSE IN PRINCIPLE. ON TIME AND PLACE, REPEATED THAT CHEVENING WAS YOUR FIRST CHOICE. HOPED THAT WU'S MIND WAS NOT ENTIRELY CLOSED TO THIS ALTERNATINE. HOWEVER, NOTED WU'S PREFERENCE FOR BRUSSELS. ON THE SUBJECTS YOU WISHED TO DISCUSS, 4. SAID THAT ✰ WOULD LAKE TO REST ON WHAT WAS SAID IN THE MESSAGE BUT
WOULD REPORT ZHOU'S ENQUIRY.
5. ZHOU THANKED ME FOR MY RESPONSE. ON WHERE AND WHEN, HE WISHED TO MAKE CLEAR THAT WU'S REASONS FOR PREFERRING THE SECOND ALTERNATIVE WERE PURELY NON-POLITICAL. ON CONTENT, HE UNDERTOOK TO REPORT TO WU. HE WANTED TO ADD A PERSONAL POINT: DURING THE RECENT VISITS OF MR RENTON AND SIR W HARDING TO PEKING, THE ISSUE OF THE FUTURE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN FULLY DISCUSSED. HE WONDERED WHETHER WE NOW WANTED TO ADD TO WHAT HAD BEEN SAID THEN.
CONFIDENTIAL
16.
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