TOP COPY
OCMIAN 6345
CONFIDENTIAL
PP PEKIN
FM FCOLN TO PEKIN
181100Z FEB
GRS 220
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO PRIORITY PEKING
TELNO 135
OF 18110OZ FEBRUARY 86
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
16345 1
Ja
HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR
FROM HKD
HRA007/4
KIN VED IN RELISTRY 1 9FEB 1986
28.001
1.
WHEN SIR E YOUDE MET THE SECRETARY OF STATE ON 13 FEBRUARY, THEY AGREED THAT IT WOULD BE USEFUL IF A BILATERAL MEETING COULD BE ARRANGED BETWEEN SIR GEOFFREY HOWE AND WU XUEQIAN BEFORE THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS, MAINLY TO DISCUSS THE 1987 REVIEW OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG. THERE ARE OBVIOUS PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES ABOUT THIS, AND A SPECIAL TRIP FOR THE PURPOSE SEEMS POLITICALLY UNDESIRABLE. THUS, ALTHOUGH THE SECRETARY OF STATE PLANS TO GO TO TOKYO IN MAY FOR THE ECONOMIC SUMMIT, WE BELIEVE THAT IF HE WERE TO STOP OVER IN PEKING ON HIS WAY TO OR FROM THAT MEETING, THIS MIGHT WELL LEAD TO UNHELPFUL SPECULATION IN HONG KONG ABOUT SOME SORT OF CRISIS IN
-
SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS ESPECIALLY AS HE WILL BE GOING TO PEKING ANYWAY IN OCTOBER FOR THE STATE VISIT, AND SUCH A STOP WOULD NOT
THEREFORE LOOK NATURAL.
2.
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WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO FIND OUT DISCREETLY FROM COLLEAGUES ABOUT WU'S TRAVEL PLANS UP TO THE END OF JULY PARTICULARLY ANY PLANS FOR HIM TO VISIT EUROPE? YOU SHOULD NOT AT THIS STAGE DISCLOSE OUR INTEREST IN A BILATERAL MEETING.
HOWE
LIMITED
HKD
MR WILSON SIR W HARD ING
1
FED
CONFIDENTIAL
PS
PS/MR RENTON PS/PUS
$29.