CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO PRIORITY PEKING
TELNO 63
OF 20130OZ
JANUARY 88
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
167400
MD LOAN 9540
4
Exter
ря.
Mutual Legal
Assistance
ния 37
371
2 JAN 1988
TELELETTER 373
YOUR TELNO 12 AND TELELE
180038Z JANUARY 88 :
LEGAL EXCHANGE : PROPOSED CAT I VISIT BY ZOU YU
1.
THANK YOU FOR THE BACKGROUND ON THE ACLA/MOJ RELATIONSHIP. PARAS 4 AND 6 OF TLUR APPEAR BROADLY TO CORROBORATE THE VIEW IN FLETCHER-COOKE'S TELELETTER 16172UZ DECEMBER 87, THAT THE ROLE OF A CLA IS SIMILAR TO THAT OF A TRADES UNION-LIKE BODY SUCH AS THE US BAR ASSOCIATION. IT IS DISAPPOINTING, THEREFORE, THAT ZHAO DAMOU IS SO INSISTENT THAT ZOU YU VISITS IN HIS CAPACITY AS ACLA CHAIRMAN. THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN ADVANTAGE IN OUR BEING ABLE TO RECEIVE ZOU YU OFFICIALLY AS MINISTER OF JUSTICE, PARTLY BECAUSE IN THAT CAPACITY HE WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE LORD CHANCELLOR AND THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL (WE ALSO HAVE IN MIND A CALL ON A JUNIOR HOME OFFICE MINISTER) BUT ALSO TO GIVE CONCERTED IMPETUS TO THE WIDER QUESTION OF A BILATERAL JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT. IF HOWEVER, YOUR RESERVATIONS OVER SWITCHING TO A MOJ TRACK AT THIS STAGE REMAIN, YOU SHOULD GO AHEAD WITH THE FORMAL CAT I LETTER OF INVITATION TO ZOU YU AS CHAIRMAN OF ACLA. YOU SHOULD NEVERTHELESS STRESS THAT HMG WOULD BE PLEASED IF ZOU YU COULD UNDERTAKE AT LEAST SOME CALLS IN HIS CAPACITY AS MINISTER OF JUSTICE WHILE HE IS HERE.
2.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR VIEWS ON A POSSIBLE PROGRAMME FOR ZOU YU, WHICH MIGHT PERHAPS INCLUDE A SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT. MR JOHN SALTER CHAIRMAN OF THE SECTION ON BUSINESS LAW OF THE IBA HAS MET ZOU YU AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE HIM AGAIN AND OFFER HOSPITALITY DURING THE VISIT.
3.
THERE IS NO OBJECTION TO THE INCLUSION OF ZOU YU'S WIFE AS
A FULL MEMBER OF THE DELEGATION.
4.
PLEASE REMIND ZHAO DA MOU THAT HIS OWN IMPENDING VISIT SHOULD SERVE TO COVER MUCH OF THE GROUNDWORK FOR
ZOU YU'S VISIT.
HOW E