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ISTRY
- 3 JUN 1986
INDEX
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP BRUSSELS, UKDEL NATO
taken
JAB 8/6
OUR TELNO 398:
SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH THE CHINESE
FOREIGN MINISTER, 23 MAY: PRESS HANDLING
1. ALTHOUGH A FINAL DECISION HAS NOT YET BEEN TAKEN, WE ARE DISPOSED TO ANNOUNCE THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH WU XUEQUIAN IN THE NORMAL WAY ON MONDAY 19 MAY, WHEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S MOVEMENTS FOR THE WEEK WILL BE GIVEN TO THE
MIDDAY PRESS CONFERENCE. WE FEEL THAT TO DELAY AN ANNOUNCEMENT UNTIL NEARER THE TIME, ALTHOUGH DESIRABLE IN SOME WAYS, WOULD ATTRACT ATTENTION AS A DEPARTURE FROM THE NORM AND HENCE GIVE
RISE TO SPECULATION THAT SOME CRISIS HAS ARISEN.
2.
THE PRESENT PLAN IS THAT NEWS DEPARTMENT WOULD ANNOUNCE THE
VISIT TO BRUSSELS IN THE FOLLOWING TERMS:
BEGINS. THE SECRETARY OF STATE WILL BE VISITING BRUSSELS ON
23 MAY FOR A MEETING WITH THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF NATO, LORD CARRINGTON, IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING OF NATO MINISTERS IN HALIFAX LATER IN THE MONTH. HE HAS ACCEPTED AN INVITATION TO
HAVE LUNCH WITH THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER, WHO WILL BE IN
BRUSSELS AT THE SAME TIME. ENDS.
3. IF ASKED ABOUT THE MEETING WITH WU XUEQUIAN, NEWS DEPARTMENT WILL ADD THAT IT WILL BE A BRIEF ONE: THAT IT WAS FIXED UP SOME
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