CONFIDENTIAL
HKB
PA 64
CQ7/1
005347
MDLIAN 4131
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 532
OF 220246Z MARCH 88
INFO PRIORITY ULAN BATOR, HONG KONG
YOUR TELNO 239: LORD GLENARTHUR'S VISIT
1.
THE OVERALL DATES PROPOSED FOR LORD GLENARTHUR'S VISIT TO CHINA
ARE FINE. I AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE RIGHT TO USE THE AVAILABLE TIME
FOR AN EXTENSIVE AND VARIED REGIONAL TOUR, AVOIDING THE BEATEN TRACK. XIAN, CHONGQING, AND CHENGDU SEEM WELL-CHOSEN BOTH FOR
COMMERCIAL INTEREST AND FOR THE WAY THEY WILL ILLUMINATE CURRENT
REGIONAL POLICY. THE ROLLS ROYCE/BAE PROJECT FOR PRODUCTION OF SPEY
MOTORS AT XIAN SHOULD BE WELL WORTH A VISIT: THE SPEY 202 ENGINE
(ENCLUSIVELY PRODUCED THERE) IS NOW TO BE USED IN A CHINESE FIGHTER AIRCRAFT, AND ROLLS ROYCE WILL SHORTLY BE OFFERING THE CHINESE A NEW CO-PRODUCTION SCHEME FOR THE SPEY SK15, TO WHICH A VISIT BY A BRITISH MINISTER COULD GIVE A USEFUL BOOST.
2. WE
CANNOT ADVISE ON THE DETAILS OF TRAVEL AT THE MOMENT, SINCE CAAC HAVE YET TO PUBLISH THEIR SUMMER SCHEDULES. I RECOMMEND · HOWEVER, LORD GLENARTHUR SHOULD PLAN TO STAY IN PEKING FOR TWO AND A HALF DAYS (ASSUMING A MORNING ARRIVAL ON MONDAY 22 JUNE) AND LEAVE FOR XIAN ON THE MORNING OF THURSDAY 25 JUNE. THIS WOULD LEAVE
FOUR-FIVE DAYS TO COMPLETE THE REST OF THE CHINA ITINERARY, WHICH SHOULD BE FEASIBLE FOLLOWING THE ORDER YOU SUGGEST. IN PEKING, LORD GLENARTHUR MIGHT EXPECT TO HAVE TWO SESSIONS OF TALKS WITH ZHOU NAN
(WHO HAS MADE CLEAR HE WILL REGARD HIMSELF AS THE HOST) AND A
COURTESY CALL ON THE FOREIGN MINISTER. WE COULD ALLOW UP TO ONE DAY
FOR SIGHT-SEEING AND SHOPPING, AND FIT IN ANOTHER COUPLE OF CALLS OR VISITS DEPENDING ON LORD GLENARTHUR'S INTERESTS. IT WOULD BE
HELPFUL TO KNOW IF LORD GLENARTHUR HAS ANY SPECIFIC WISHES WHICH WE
COULD MENTION TO THE CHINESE IN THIS CONNECTION WHEN WE MAKE OUR
FIRST APPROACH ON THE DATES AND PROGRAMME. I EXPECT THAT ZHOU
NAN'S WIFE WILL OFFER TO ACCOMPANY LADY GLENARTHUR ON A SEPARATE
PROGRAMME FOR AT LEAST PART OF THE TIME.
3. WE CAN CONSIDER NEARER THE TIME WHO FROM THIS EMBASSY SHOULD ACCOMPANY LORD GLENARTHUR ON HIS PROVINCIAL TOUR, BUT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO CHECK WHETHER MY SUCCESSOR WOULD BE INTERESTED IN PRINCIPLE IN DOING THIS HIMSELF.