OCMIAN 6513
CONFIDENTIAL
PP PEKIN
FM FCOLN TO PEKIN
271200Z MAY
GRS 248
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO PRIORITY PEKING
TELNO
502
OF 27120OZ MAY 87
AND TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
via
PA Chive Vint
ра
вик
56513
1
20
Пивогт 18
Gk
03 JUN1267
LI XIANNIAN
1.
YOU WERE QUITE RIGHT TO DISCOURAGE THE CHINESE FROM PURSUING
THE IDEA OF A VISIT BY LI XIANNIAN THIS YEAR OR NEXT.
2. YOU MAY OF COURSE TELL THE CHINESE THAT WE STAND BY THE
INVITATION TO THE HEAD OF STATE TO VISIT BRITAIN AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO ARRANGING A WORTHWHILE AND ENJOYABLE VISIT. BUT AS
YOU POINTED OUT TO ZHOU NAN, THESE VISITS NEED TO BE PLANNED WITH
A LONG LEAD-IN TIME. ONLY THREE INWARD STATE VISITSARE ORGANISED
EACH YEAR AND THE REMAINING VISITS FOR THIS YEAR AND THREE FOR
1988 HAVE ALREADY BEEN FIXED.
3. FROM YOUR DESCRIPTION OF ZHOU'S APPROACH, WE IMAGINE IT WAS NO MORE THAN A PROPER CHECK ON WHETHER THE OUTSTANDING
INVITATION WAS TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE NEAR FUTURE RATHER THAN
ANY STRONG OR HIGH LEVEL PRESSURE FROM THE CHINESE SIDE FOR AN
EARLY VISIT. AS YOU WILL RECALL, LI HIMSELF TOLD THE QUEEN THAT HIS HEALTH DID NOT PERMIT HIM MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAVEL, AND
THAT HE WAS UNLIKELY TO REMAIN PRESIDENT FOR MUCH LONGER.
FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION, THE ROYAL VISIT COMMITTEE AGREED
4.
1
CONFIDENTIAL