CONFIDENTIAL
30
165713
MDHOAN 9776
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 1946
OF 221505Z OCTOBER 90
HKB 026/9
RECEI
NOV
1506T 1990
7.
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
AND TO IMMEDIATE BTC HỒNG KONG TOKYO INFO ROUTINE UKREP JLG HONG KONG
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
Action Taken i
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM PAUL, HKD
HONG KONG TELNO 2872 AND BTC TELNO OTTER 309: PROPOSED VISITS BY SECRETARIES OF STATE FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY/TRANSPORT
1.
YOU SHOULD BE AWARE THAT A QUESTION MARK HAS NOW ARISEN OVER THE TIMING OF MR PARKINSON'S VISIT TO HONG KONG (NOW SCHEDULED FOR 5-9 JANUARY INSTEAD OF 2-9 JANUARY) BECAUSE OF
PROVISIONAL PLANS FOR A VISIT BY MR LILLEY AT ABOUT THE SAME
TIME.
2. WE WERE AWARE THAT DTI OFFICIALS HAD BEEN TENTATIVELY
CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITY OF A VISIT TO HONG KONG BY MR LILLEY SOMETIME IN THE NEW YEAR. BUT WE NOW UNDERSTAND THAT THE DATES THEY HAVE IN MIND ARE 14-15 JANUARY, IN ORDER TO LINK UP WITH A PROPOSED VISIT TO JAPAN ON 15-18 JANUARY. ASSUMING THAT
MR LILLEY'S VISIT TO JAPAN GOES AHEAD IN JANUARY (WHICH IS STILL NOT CERTAIN BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS CONNECTED WITH THE JAPANESE PARLIAMENTARY TIMETABLE) THIS WOULD MEAN TWO MINISTERIAL VISITS RELATED TO PADS WITHIN THE SPACE OF A WEEK.
3
THE BUNCHING OF MINISTERIAL VISITS IN THIS WAY IS CLEARLY UNDESIRABLE. WE ARE ALSO CONSCIOUS OF YOUR OWN PLANS TO VISIT PEKING IN JANUARY. IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT MR PARKINSON MAY BE PREPARED TO POSTPONE HIS VISIT UNTIL NEXT AUTUMN. BUT BEFORE ANY FINAL DECISION IS TAKEN, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW WHETHER THE DATES PROPOSED FOR MR LILLEY'S VISIT (14-15 JANUARY) WOULD BE CONVENIENT FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW.
(FOR TOKYO) GRATEFUL FOR YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THE LATEST POSITION REGARDING MR LILLEY'S VISIT TO JAPAN.
3.
HURD
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