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103337 MDHIAN 2479 ★
5. CHAN DECLINED TO PROVIDE DETAILS OF LEE KUAN YEW'S FORTHCOMING VISIT TO CHINA (16-23 OCTOBER). HE DID SAY, HOWEVER, THAT LEE WOULD BE MEETING LI PENG AND CALLING ON YANG SHANGKUN AND THAT HE WOULD BE VISITING A NUMBER OF CITIES OUTSIDE BEIJING. CHAN ALSO DECLINED TO CONFIRM THAT PRESIDENT WEE KIM WEE WOULD BE VISITING CHINA, SAYING ONLY THAT LI PENG HAD EXTENDED AN INVITATION FROM YANG SHANGKUN TO WEE DURING LI'S VISIT TO SINGAPORE (11-13 AUGUST) AND ADDING THAT WEE WAS NOT IN THE BEST OF HEALTH.
COMMENT
6. THE SINGAPOREANS ARE CLEARLY KEEN TO PLAY DOWN THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH THE PRC FOR FEAR OF
ALARMING THEIR MALAY NEIGHBOURS. THE SIGNING CEREMONY IN NEW YORK WAS, BY ALL ACCOUNTS, A VERY LOW KEY AFFAIR AND BOTH THE COMMUNIQUE AND THE MFA PRESS RELEASE COULD HARDLY BE MORE SUCCINCT.
ΡΙΚΕ
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
175
DISTRIBUTION
186
.CHINA POLITICAL
LIMITED
FED
SEAD
NEWS D
INFO D
PUSD
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ECD (E)
HKD
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SOVIET D
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ECONOMIC ADVISERS PLANNERS
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PS/MR WALDEGRAVE
PS/MRS CHALKER
PS/PUS
MR P J WESTON
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MR MCLAREN
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