CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 3587
OF 03100OZ DECEMBER 90
INFO ROUTINE MADRID
(246
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 026/7
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
INDE
Q DIST
4 DEC 1990
FICL
STRY
PA
tun Taken
MADRID TELNO 1038 : VISIT TO HONG KONG BY FERNANDEZ ORDONEZ
247
155304
MDLIAN 1798
1. WE LOOK FORWARD TO FERNANDEZ ORDONEZ'Š VISIT TO HONG KONG ON 6 MARCH NEXT YEAR. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO MEET HIM AT 12.30PM THAT DAY AND TO HOST A LUNCH FOR HIM AFTERWARDS. WE ARE SO INFORMING THE SPANISH CONSUL-GENERAL HERE.
2. WHEN THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL FOR ASIAN AFFAIRS FROM THE SPANISH FOREIGN MINISTRY CALLED ON THE POLITICAL ADVISER ON 19 NOVEMBER, HE ASKED WHETHER THERE WOULD BE ANY SENSITIVITIES IN FERNANDEZ ORDONEZ MEETING ZHOU NAN WHILE HE WAS IN HONG KONG: HE HAD KNOWN ZHOU AT THE UNITED NATIONS. EHRMAN SAID THAT SOME VISITORS WHO PASSED THROUGH HONG KONG DID MEET ZHOU. A FOREIGN MINISTER HOWEVER WAS IN A SOMEWHAT SEPARATE CATEGORY FROM OTHER VISITORS. IT WAS IMPORTANT NOT TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT SPAIN EQUATED THE NCNA DIRECTOR IN ANY WAY WITH THE GOVERNOR OR THAT THEY CONSIDERED NCNA AN ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF AUTHORITY IN THE
TERRITORY.
3. THE SPANIARDS DO NOT SEEM TO HAVE TAKEN THIS HINT. WITH LOWER LEVEL VISITS WE WOULD NOT SEE A PROBLEM WITH A MEETING WITH THE NCNA DIRECTOR. BUT WE DO THINK THAT IT WOULD BE SLIGHTLY ODD FOR A EUROPEAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO GO OUT OF HIS WAY TO CALL ON ZHOU. WE WOULD THEREFORE BE GRATEFUL IF MADRID COULD TACTFULLY DISCOURAGE THE IDEA. IF THE FOREIGN MINISTER IS PARTICULARLY KEEN TO SEE ZHOU, THE SENSIBLE ANSWER WOULD BE FOR THE CONSUL-GENERAL TO INVITE HIM FOR A MEAL.
WILSON
YYYY
PAGE
1
CONFIDENTIAL