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TO DESKBY 13010OZ PEKING
TELNO 113
OF 12180OZ FEBRUARY 91
Sponsored Visits file.
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG
YOUR TELNO 001: SPONSORED VISITS PROGRAMME
M
1 THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR HAS ENQUIRED ABOUT OUR PLANS, OF WHICH HE IS AWARE, TO RESTART THE SPONSORED VISITS PROGRAMME. HE IS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE POSSIBLE VISIT BY THE MAYOR OF TIANJIN (THOUGH SHANGHAI WAS ALSO MENTIONED) AND EXPRESSED SOME CONCERN TO MCLAREN DURING HIS CALL ON 12 FEBRUARY THAT HE HAD NOT HEARD FROM CHINA OF ANY INVITATION BEING RECEIVED.
HE ASKED WHETHER WE HAD ANY OBJECTION TO HIS STIMULATING THE MAYOR
TO ASK FOR AN INVITATION: MCLAREN ENCOURAGED HIM TO DO SO.
2.
SEPARATELY, IN APPROVING THE MESSAGE TO LI PENG, THE PRIME MINISTER HAS ASKED FOR AN INDICATION OF WHAT HIGH LEVEL CHINESE
VISITORS HE MIGHT BE ASKED TO RECEIVE IN THE COMING MONTHS.
3.
OUR TELNO 1000 AUTHORISED YOU TO ISSUE INVITATIONS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS YEAR AND FOR FY 91/92. YOUR TUR GAVE DETAILS OF THE CANDIDATES YOU INTENDED TO INVITE THIS YEAR. BUT APART FROM THE EXCHANGE OVER HE ZHIYIANG WE HAVE HEARD NOTHING FURTHER. WE APPRECIATE THE DIFFICULTY OVER GETTING RESPONSES FROM THE CHINESE BODIES CONCERNED, PARTICULARLY AT PRESENT. BUT WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL TO KNOW WHERE THINGS STAND, IN PARTICULAR TO WHICH CANDIDATES INVITATIONS HAVE NOW BEEN ISSUED AND OF ANY INDICATIONS OF THEIR RESPONSE. WE NEED TO REPLY TO NO 10 AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. GRATEFUL FOR INFORMATION DESKBY 13 FEBRUARY 093OZ.
HURD
YYYY
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