GRS 420
RESTRICTED
FM BANGKOK
RESTRICTED
TO DESKBY 16090OZ FCO
TELNO 261
OF 1608OOZ APRIL 87
AND TO DESKBY 170100Ź PEKING
но
47
YOUR TELNO 220 AND PEKING TELNO 653 : SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO THAILAND
1.
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
WE HAVE SPOKEN AS INSTRUCTED TO THE MFA. UNFORTUNATELY THE TIMING OF THE TALKS WITH SIDDHI CANNOT BE BROUGHT FORWARD. THE MFA HAVE EXPLAINED THAT PROTOCOL OBLIGES SIDDHI TO ACCOMPANY WU ON HIS CALL ON
THE KING.
2.
THIS SEEMS TO LEAVE US OPTION B IE. A PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE MORNING OF 22 APRIL. BUT THE TIMING WOULD BE EXTREMELY TIGHT: EVEN IF THE CONFERENCE ITSELF COULD BE SQUEEZED BETWEEN THE CALL ON PREM AND DEPARTURE, THERE WOULD BE NO TIME FOR THE ACCOMPANYING JOURNALISTS TO FILE AND EXPERIENCE SHOWS THAT ATTENDANCE AT EARLY MORNING PRESS CONFERENCES BY LOCAL JOURNALISTS IS VERY
THIN.
3. IN THESE FAR FROM IDEA CIRCUMSTANCES WE WONDER
WHETHER THE LEAST UNATTRACTIVE OPTION MIGHT NOT BE TO HAVE A SHORT PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE EMBASSY BETWEEN THE RETURN FROM THE MFA TALKS WITH SIDDHI AND THE DEPARTURE FOR THE TALKS WITH WU. AS THINGS STAND THERE IS INSUFFICIENT TIME, BUT IF THE TALKS WITH WU COULD BE PUSHED BACK 15 MINUTES (1.E. 1900 TO 2000 WE WOULD HAVE
TIME FOR A PRESS CONFERENCE OF SLIGHTLY OVER HALF AN HOUR
BETWEEN SAY 1815 AND 1350 WHICH COULD BE SUPPLEMENTED BY
FURTHER BRIEFING FROM MEYER AFTER THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S
DEPARTURE FOR WU. IT IS PERHAPS RELEVANT THAT WHEN WE SPOKE TO THE CHINESE COUNSELLOR HERE, ZHONG SHUKONG EXPLAINED CHINESE DIFFICULTIES DETAILED IN YOUR TUR.
HE SAID THAT HE THOUGHT THAT AN 1845 START FOR TALKS AT
THE CHINESE EMBASSY WAS A LITTLE TIGHT EVEN IF WU LEFT
THE ESCAP RECEPTION AFTER ONLY A BRIEF APPEARANCE)
A POSSIBLE REVISED AFTERNOON PROGRAMME BASED ON THESE
IDEAS IS CONTAINED IN MIFT. AS YOU WILL SEE WE HAVE
ADDED A TENTATIVE TIME FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO MEET
EMBASSY STAFF AS REQUESTED IN YOUR TELNO 191 TO CANBERRA.
5. IF YOU AGREE TO THIS GENERAL IDEA WE COULD ALSO EXPLORE
WITH THE THAIS THE POSSIBILITY OF BRINGING THE CALL ON
SIDDHI FORWARD A LITTLE.
THIS MIGHT GIVE US A FURTHER
RESTRICTED
بيعة
444
Sel/46
нав
02119
21 APR 1007
15
J