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Hub 02718
1 8 NOV 1988
50
See(51
125135
MDLIAN 8166
FM PEKING
IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TO
TELNO 169
OF 100744Z NOVEMBER 1987
INGEX
INFO PRIORITY FCO, CANBERRA, WELLINGTON
TOP COPY O DIST ?
POSSIBLE VISIT TO HONG KONG BY STATE COUNCILLOR GU MU
1
·
A HONG KONG BUSINESSMAN VISITING PEKING LAST WEEK DREW OUR
ATTENTION TO REPORTS THAT STATE COUNCILLOR GU MU WOULD BE VISITING
AUSTRALIA FROM 14-24 NOVEMBER AND NEW ZEALAND FROM 24-30 NOVEMBER
THIS YEAR, PRESUMABLY TRANSITING HONG KONG IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. HE WONDERED IF ANY THOUGHT HAD BEEN GIVEN TO INVITING GU MU TO STOP OVER FOR A SHORT VISIT IN HONG KONG, INCLUDING CONTACTS WITH ORGANS LIKE THE HONG KONG TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, HONG KONG PRODUCTION CENTRE, HONG KONG VOCATIONAL BUREAU AND THE TAI PO INDUSTRIAL ESTATE. HE THOUGH GU MU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE
RESPECTIVE NEW AIRPORT PROPOSALS FOR HONG KONG AND SHENZHEN.
2.
WE TOLD THE BUSINESSMAN IN QUESTION THAT WE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF
ANY SUCH PLAN. IT SEEMS TO ME, HOWEVER, THAT EVEN IF THE IDEA IS A NEW ONE (AND REGARDLESS OF ITS PROVENANCE) IT MAY BE WORTH YOUR
SERIOUS CONSIDERATION. GU MU HAS SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY ON THE
STATE COUNCIL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES, AND A STOP-OVER IN HONG KONG WOULD OFFER THE CHANCE TO QUESTION HIM ABOUT
THESE AND SUCH MATTERS AS FOREIGN INVESTMENT PROVISIONS IN CHINA AS
WELL AS SHOWING HIM SOMETHING OF THE HONG KONG ECONOMY AND
DEVELOPMENT PHILOSOPHY. TO SET AGAINST THIS, GU MU HIMSELF WAS NOT RE-ELECTED EVEN TO THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE AT THE THIRTEENTH PARTY CONGRESS AND IT MUST SEEM DOUBTFUL WHETHER HE CAN NOW EXPECT TO
RETAIN HIS POST AS STATE COUNCILLOR BEYOND NEXT SPRING. HOWEVER,
THE OFFICE AS WELL AS THE MAIN IS IMPORTANT AND A SUCCESSFUL VISIT
OF THE KIND DESCRIBED MIGHT BE A USEFUL ONE TO HAVE UNDER OUR BELTS
FROM SEVERAL POINTS OF VIEW.
3. IF YOU WISH TO TAKE UP THIS IDEA, THE TIME IS NOW CLEARLY TOO SHORT TO ARRANGE A VISIT ON GU MU'S WAY OUT TO AUSTRALIA. HIS RETURN TRIP FROM NEW ZEALAND WOULD STILL SEEM A PRACTICAL POSSIBILITY, AND THE PROGRAMME DETAILS COULD BE FIXED UP WITH THE HELP OF POSTS AT CANBERRA AND WELLINGTON AS NECESSARY. THERE WOULD, ALSO, JUST BE TIME FOR US TO CONVEY THE INVITATION IN GENERAL TERMS TO GU MU BEFORE HE LEAVES PEKING ON THE 14TH. GRATEFUL FOR YOUR
VIEWS.
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