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5. I ACCOMPANIED THE FAC ON ALL THEIR CALLS AND TOOK PART WITH MR JOPLING IN A LUNCH HE ASKED US TO ARRANGE ON 24 APRIL WITH AGRICULTURE MINISTER HE KANG, AN OLD FRIEND. THIS WENT VERY WELL (AND AUGURS FAVOURABLY FOR MR MACGREGOR'S FORTHCOMING VISIT). I ALSO HELD A HALF HOUR WASH-UP SESSION WITH THE COMMITTEE BEFORE LUNCH ON 25 APRIL. ON 24 APRIL THE EMBASSY ARRANGED AT SHORT NOTICE LUNCH FOR THE REMAINING FAC MEMBERS IN A TRADITIONAL CHINESE RESTAURANT, WHERE H OF C AND 10 ACCOMPANIED THEM.
6. THE COMMITTEE WERE INITIALLY CONCERNED THAT THE CALLS ON LI HOU AND ZHOU NAN IN PARTICULAR WERE SCHEDULED TO LAST ONLY ONE HOUR EACH. IN THE EVENT, THEY HAD TWO AND A HALF HOURS WITH LI AND AN HOUR AND A HALF WITH ZHOU. THIS WENT A LONG WAY TOWARDS COMPENSATING FOR SHEN JUEREN'S HAVING DROPPED OUT OF THE PROGRAMME. (IT LATER EMERGED THAT SHEN GENUINELY WAS INVOLVED IN A TWO-DAY NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FOREIGN INVESTMENT AND THAT MOFERT HAD TOLD PIFA FROM THE OUTSET THAT HE WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE TO MEET THE FAC. PIFA WERE CLEARLY EMBARRASSED BY THIS LAPSE IN A PROGRAMME WHICH, OTHERWISE, THEY HAD ORGANISED EFFICIENTLY).
7. THE FAC GAVE A SHORT PRESS CONFERENCE AT THEIR HOTEL ON 25 APRIL (RECORDED IN MY TELNO 695). THERE HAS SO FAR BEEN NO (NO) COVERAGE OF THIS VISIT IN THE CHINESE MEDIA.
DONALD
YYYY
DISTRIBUTION
52
ΜΑΙΝ
49
.HONG KONG AGREEMENT
.(RESTRICTED)
LIMITED
HKD
HD/FED
PUSD
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/MR EGGAR
MR GILLMORE
MR MCLAREN
RESEARCH (FE)
ADDITIONAL
3
PAGE
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CONFIDENTIAL