CONFIDENTIAL
153376
MDHIAN, 7509
PEKING/JINAN/GUANGZHOU, ALLOWING A WHOLE DAY ON TAISHAN, AND WILL REPORT THE RESULTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
JINAN
4. AN ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE TO TRAVEL BY TRAIN FROM PEKING TO ON THE EVENING OF 5 APRIL (THERE IS NO/NO CONVENIANT FLIGHT) AND EITHER RETURNING TO PEKING OR FLYING ON TO GUANGZHOU BY SCHEDULED AIR SERVICE ON 7 APRIL (THERE IS NO/NO FLIGHT FROM JINAN TO GUANGZHOU ON 8 APRIL).
5. PROVIDED THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE IS ABLE TO TRAVEL TO PEKING ON 3 APRIL, AND THUS HAVE TWO AND A HALF DAYS IN PEKING, I SEE SOME MERIT IN HIM PASSING THROUGH GUANGZHOU ON THE WAY FROM JINAN TO HONG KONG. IT WOULD ALLOW HIM TO SEE AN AREA OF RAPID ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND GIVE HIM THE CHANCE TO MEET SOME OF THE MORE REFORM MINDED AND ADVENTUROUS PROVINCIAL LEADERS (THERE ARE CONTINUAL RUMOURS THAT YE XUANPING, GOVERNOR OF GUANGDONG, WILL MOVE TO THE CENTRE AT SOME STAGE).
6. ON OTHER ELEMENTS IN THE PROGRAMME, RETURN BANQUETS ARE STILL THE NORM. I WOULD VERY MUCH HOPE THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE WOULD HAVE TIME TO MEET EMBASSY STAFF, POSSIBLY OVER DRINKS BEFORE THE RETURN BANQUET. I AGREE THAT IT IS NOT NECESSARY FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO MEET THE ABCC, HOWEVER HE SHOULD BE GIVEN SOME COMMERCIAL PERSPECTIVE ON OUR WORK HERE, PERHAPS OVER A MEAL WITH SELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MAJOR BRITISH FIRMS HERE. IF TIME PERMITS, I SHOULD ALSO WANT TO HOST A SOCIAL EVENT FOR RETURNED FCO SENIOR FELLOWS AND OTHERS WHO HAVE STUDIED IN THE UK ON FCO OR BC SCHOLARSHIPS. THIS IS AN AREA IN WHICH HMG HAS INVESTED CONSIDERABLE AMOUNTS, AND SUCH AN EVENT WOULD BOTH GIVE RECOGNITION TO THIS INVESTMENT AND GIVE THE SECRETARY OF STATE THE GHANCE TO MEET THOSE WHO WILL MAKE ''THE CHINA OF TOMORROW'' (I UNDERSTAND THAT A SIMILAR FUNCTION FOR MR MAUDE WENT OFF VERY SUCCESSFULLY).
7. IF THE VISIT IS TO GO AHEAD, IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO HAVE EARLY GUIDANCE ON THE FOLLOWING ADMINISTRATIVE POINTS:
(A) ACCOMMODATION:
THE CHINESE WILL UNDOUBTEDLY OFFER ACCOMODATION IN THE DIAOYUTAI. THIS WOULD CAUSE CONSIDERABLE LOGISTICAL DIFFICULTIES, NOT LEAST PLACING THE SECRETARY OF STATE 40 MINUTES BY CAR FROM SECURE COMMUNICATIONS. I WOULD BE VERY HAPPY TO HOST THE SECRETARY OF STATE IN THE RESIDENE. GRATEFUL TO KNOW HIS VIEWS.
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