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CONFIDENTIAL Q DIST ?
GRS 320
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 334
OF 030229Z MARCH 37
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
a
MY TELNO 65: VISIT TO HONG KONG BY ZHOU NAN
1.
DURING THOMSON'S CALL ON 2 MARCH TO DISCUSS JLV VI AGENDA PROPOSALS, WANG JIAJI SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED BY ZHOU TO REPLY FORMALLY TO OUR INVITATION TO ZHOU TO VISIT HONG KONG.
2. WANG SAID THAT DURING BOYD'S VISIT TO PEKING (IN JANUARY) THE LATTER HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO INVITE ZHOU TO VISIT HONG KONG SOON. WANG HAD UNDERSTOOD THAT, IF HE WERE TO ACCEPT, ZHOU WOULD GO TO HONG KONG AS THE GUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, IN WHOSE NAME THE INVITATION WOULD BE ISSUED.
3. WANG SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO EXPRESS THANKS TO THE UK SIDE FOR THIS FRIENDLY INVITATION. ZHOU HAD BEEN VERY PLEASED TO HAVE BEEN OFFERED THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT HONG KONG. UNFORTUNATELY HE WOULD BE VERY BUSY IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO FIND THE NECESSARY TIME. HE HOPED THAT WE WOULD UNDERSTAND.
4.
THOMSON THANKED WANG FOR GIVING US ZHOU'S RESPONSE AND UNDERTOOK TO CONVEY IT TO YOU AND TO HONG KONG. HE ADDED THAT HE WAS SURE THAT YOU AND HONG KONG WOULD WISH HIM TO SAY THAT YOU WERE SORRY THAT ZHOU COULD NOT MAKE A VISIT IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE AND THAT ZHOU WOULD BE WELCOME TO DO SO AT A LATER DATE.
5. WANG EXPRESSED HIS THANKS. HE BELIVED ZHOU WOULD BE VERY PLEASED TO TAKE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT HONG KONG.
COMMENT
6. WE CANNOT BE SURE OF ZHOU'S REASONS FOR DECLINING THE INVITATION. IT COULD WELL BE FOR REASONS OF PRESSURE OF WORK. BUT WANG DID PLACE SOME EMPHASIS (WITHOUT ELABORATING) ON HIS UNDERSTANDING THAT THE INVITATION WOULD ISSUE FROM THE GOVERNOR. WE WONDER WHETHER THE FACT THAT THE NEW GOVERNOR DOES NOT ARRIVE UNTIL APRIL HAS A BEARING ON HIS RESPONSE.
CONFIDENTIAL
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