CONFIDENTIAL FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 890
OF 170104Z MAY 88
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
71
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 0261
MAY 100
75,
020773
MDHIAN 9656
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
MY TELNO.872:
GOVERNOR'S VISIT TO FUJIAN AND ZHEJIANG.
1. ON THE AFTERNOON OF 16 MAY, CLIFT INFORMED LORD BY TELEPHONE THAT
(A) JI SHAOXIANG OF HONG KONG NCNA HAD SAID THAT HE UNDERSTOOD THE
MFA HAD NOW DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO POSTPONE THE VISIT RATHER THAN SHORTEN
IT:
(B) QUOTING SOURCES
·
WEN WEI PO HAD REPORTED THAT CONSIDERATION WAS BEING GIVEN TO POSTPONING THE VISIT:
·
(C) AS A RESULT OF (B) THE MEDIA WERE PRESSING HONG KONG GOVERNMENT
FOR CONFIRMATION.
DURING A CALL ON WANG WEIYANG, LORD CONVEYED THIS MESSAGE AND ASKED FOR URGENT CLARIFICATION OF (A). WANG UNDERTOOK TO TRY TO PROVIDE
THIS.
AND FOLLOWING 2. NO ANSWER HAVING BEEN RECEIVED BY CLOSE OF PLAY, ANOTHER CONVERSATION WITH CLIFT, LORD MADE CONTACT WITH WANG JIAJI. WANG CONFIRMED THAT (A) WAS CORRECT, ALTHOUGH HE WAS NOT SURE HOW HONG KONG NCNA HAD GOT TO HEAR OF IT SO FAST. HAVING CONSULTED THE PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES AND THE HKMAO OF THE STATE COUNCIL, THE MFA WANG HAD CONCLUDED THAT POSTPONEMENT MIGHT BE THE BETTER OPTION. THEREFORE SAW NO REASON WHY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT RESPOND TO PRESS ENQUIRIES BY CONFIRMING THAT CONSIDERATION WAS BEING GIVEN TO A POSTPONEMENT. LORD EXPRESSED THANKS AND UNDERTOOK TO REPORT (WHICH HE THEN DID, BY TELEPHONE, TO BRADLEY).
3. CLIFT LATER INFORMED LORD THAT :
(A) IN THE LIGHT OF THE ADVICE FROM THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES,
GOVERNOR HAD DECIDED TO POSTPONE HIS VISIT :
(B) A PRESS STATEMENT HAD BEEN ISSUED, THE GIST OF WHICH WAS
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