CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 026,
137731
MDHIAN 7312
ملا
026/13. Plow on wet fle
DESK OFFICER
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 3108OOZ F C O
TELNO 1190
OF 310405Z JULY 91
INDEX
ممکن نیستم
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, B T C HONG KONG
HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR DEPUTY TO GOVERNOR.
MY TELNO 1174. PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO CHINA AND HONG KONG.
1. THE DEPUTY HEAD OF THE WESTERN EUROPEAN DEPARTMENT AT THE MFA TOLD ME THIS MORNING (31 JULY) THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ACCEPTED THE DATES WE HAD PROPOSED FOR THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT. HE ASKED WHETHER I HAD PROPOSALS TO PUT FORWARD FOR THE PROGRAMME AND FOR THE AGENDA FOR THE DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THE TWO LEADERS.
2. I WELCOMED CONFIRMATION OF THE DATES AND SAID I WOULD REPORT THE NEWS IMMEDIATELY TO LONDON. I HOPED TO RECEIVE INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT THE PROGRAMME AND TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION VERY SOON.
3. SONG ASKED ABOUT THE TIMING OF AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
AT MY PROMPTING, HE SUGGESTED FRIDAY 2 AUGUST OR, IF THAT WAS NOT POSSIBLE FOR OUR SIDE, MONDAY 5 AUGUST. I SAID I WOULD REPORT THESE SUGGESTIONS. SPEAKING PERSONALLY, I THOUGHT WE MIGHT PREFER THE EARLIER OF THE TWO ALTERNATIVES. IN ANSWER TO MY QUESTION, SONG SAID THE CHINESE NORMALLY MADE SUCH ANNOUNCEMENTS IN THE AFTERNOON IN ORDER TO CATCH THE EARLY EVENING (7 P M LOCAL) TELEVISION NEWS. I SAID THE NORMAL TIME IN LONDON WAS 1230 P M. WE WOULD NEED TO REACH A COMPROMISE ACCEPTABLE TO BOTH SIDES.
4.
ON THE CONTENT OF AN ANNOUNCEMENT, SONG READ OUT THE FOLLOWING, TRANSLATING FROM A HAND WRITTEN CHINESE TEXT:
''AT THE INVITATION OF PREMIER LI PENG OF THE STATE COUNCIL OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, PRIME MINISTER JOHN MAJOR OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND, WILL VISIT CHINA FROM SEPTEMBER 2ND TO 4TH. DURING HIS VISIT
PRIME MINISTER MAJOR AND PREMIER LI PENG WILL FORMALLY SIGN
THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENTS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND CHINA CONCERNING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW AIRPORT IN HONG KONG AND RELATED QUESTIONS. HE WILL ALSO
EXCHANGE VIEWS WITH CHINESE LEADERS ON SINO-BRITISH
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