GRS 420
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2067
OF 300701Z OCTOBER 86
Confidential
HKK aly
RECEIVED IN AQUSTRY
31 OCT 1986
434
COPY Q DIST ?
PA
RECISTRY
Action Taken
See 404
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
417
PERSONAL FOR HUM HKD
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR HONG KONG
NIT.
421
HONG KONG TELNOS 3502 AND 3516 AND MY TELNO 218 TO HONG KONG: INFORMAL EXCHANGES WITH THE CHINESE
1.
I AM SURE IT IS RIGHT THAT THERE SHOULD ALWAYS BE AT LEAST ONE 'OPPORTUNITY TO EXCHANGE VIEWS ON THE HORIZON. MOREOVER, I AGREE WITH THE GOVERNOR'S JUDGEMENTS THAT THE CHINESE HAVE DEMONSTRTED THEIR WILLINGNESS TO CONTINUE THE INFORMAL DIALOGUE ON ISSUES RELATING TO THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW AND THAT THEY ARE MORE
THAN HAPPY TO TALK TO THE GOVERNOR ABOUT SUCH ISSUES.
2. SO MUCH SAID, I AM NOT CONVINCED THAT WE NEED MAP OUT QUITE AS DETAILED A PROGRAMME FOR EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE GOVERNOR AND THE CHINESE AS THE ONE SET OUT IN HONG KONG TELNO 3516, AT ANY RATE AT
THIS STAGE. AMONG THE FACTORS WHICH I HAVE IN MIND ARE THE
FOLLOWING:
(A) IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND WU XUEQIAN WILL MEET DURING A VISIT OF THE LATTER TO THE UK DURING THE FIRST
HALF OF 1987 (MY TELNO 218 TO HONG KONG),
(B) WHEN I WAS DISCUSSING THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT WITH ZHOU NAN AT THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER, ZHOU SAID THAT HE WOULD WISH ME TO BE PRESENT AT ALL THE GOVERNOR'S MEETINGS. AS HE PUT IT, I WAS AFTER ALL THE OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IN PEKING. I PLAN TO TAKE MY LONG POSTPONED MID-TOUR LEAVE DURING THE SPRING OF 1987. BUT I CANNOT PROPOSE PRECISE DATES TO HEADS OF MISSION SECTION UNTIL I KNOW MORE CLEARLY WHEN PRINCESS MARGARET IS LIKELY TO VISIT
CHINA.
IF SHE WERE TO BE INVITED IN APRIL INSTEAD OF MAY (AS IS ON THE CARDS), I SHOULD NEED TO LEAVE PEKING AT THE BEGINNING OF MARCH OR EVEN AT THE END OF FEBRUARY.
(C) I THINK THAT THE TIME HAS COME TO REEXAMINE THE POSSIBILITY OF INVITING ZHOU NAN TO VISIT HONG KONG. THERE ARE QUITE A FEW PROS
AND CONS WHICH NEED TO BE ARGUED OUT. IF, HOWEVER, IT WERE DECIDED TO INVITE ZHOU TO VISIT HONG KONG DURING THE COURSE OF 1987, ONE STRAND OF THE DIALOGUE COULD BE PURSUED BETWEEN HIM AND THE GOVERNOR
THERE.
Confidential
13.