CONFIDENTIAL
7.
The last high level visit to Britain from China was by
Hu Yaobang as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist
Party in June 1986. In 1985 Zhao Ziyang, his successor as
General Secretary visited Britain as Prime Minister. Apart
from Princess Margaret's visit in late 1987 there has been
zisa 11ga Levei vish: co China since the State Visi:
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since 1984. The Secretary of State last visited China in
1986. A list of two-way high level visits since 1984 is
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A
attached as an Annex to this submission.
Argument
Possible State Visit
8.
We can trace no record of the FCO having expressed a
wish in September 1987 that the President of China should
pay a State Visit to Britain by the end of 1990 as is
claimed by the Chinese MFA (para 3 of Peking Telno.627).
There is however a good argument for advancing a return
State Visit. By next year it will be four years since the
last high level visit from China. As an opportunity to hold
substantive political discussions, an early visit by che
Chinese Prime Minister might have been preferable. But it
is apparent that Li Peng does not intend to include the UK
in the itinerary of his autumn European tour.
President Yang will be 82 this year. He is, however, in
good health and plays an active role as Head of State (he
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CONFIDENTIAL
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