CONFIDENTIAL
126132 MDHIAN 6886
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 26083OZ F C O
TELNO 1168
OF 260317Z JULY 91
нко
о
026/13
CEWED IN
1
AUG 1991
AND TO DESKBY 26040OZ HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
Pry's unit fle га
FCO PERSONAL FOR WARREN, FED.
HONG KONG STRICTLY PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR.
UKREP JLG HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR GALSWORTHY.
HONG KONG PLEASE PASS PS/LORD CAITHNESS, SIR R. MCLAREN, MR. BURNS AND MR. DAVIES (ALL VISITING).
YOUR TELNO 817.
PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO CHINA AND HONG KONG: 1-6 SEPTEMBER.
1. I CALLED ON SONG MINGJIANG, DEPUTY HEAD OF WESTERN EUROPEAN DEPARTMENT AT THE MFA ON 26 JULY TO CARRY OUT THE INSTRUCTIONS IN
TUR.
2. I BEGAN BY SAYING THAT THE AMBASSADOR HAD VERY MUCH WISHED TO BRING THE GOOD NEWS PERSONALLY, BUT THAT URGENCY PRECLUDED DELAY. I THEN WORKED THROUGH THE INSTRUCTIONS.
3. SONG BEAMED AS SOON AS HE HEARD THE DATES 2-4 SEPTEMBER. HE THANKED ME FOR THE NEWS WHICH HE WOULD IMMEDIATELY REPORT
TO HIS LEADERS. ON TIMING, HIS PERSONAL GUESS WAS THAT THE DATES SUGGESTED WOULD NOT PRESENT A BIG PROBLEM. IN REPLY TO A QUESTION
ABOUT WHAT LITTLE PROBLEMS MIGHT EXIST HE LAUGHINGLY EXPLAINED
THAT HIS FORMULATION REFLECTED THE NORMAL CAUTION OF ANY CHINESE DIPLOMAT. HE WAS UNAWARE OF ANY SPECIFIC PROBLEM. SONG ALSO ASKED HOW MANY OFFICIALS WOULD ACCOMPANY THE PRIME MINISTER. I REPLIED THAT WE HAD NO DETAILED INFORMATION BUT THAT THE NUMBER ACCOMPANYING THE SECRETARY OF STATE ON HIS APRIL VISIT WOULD GIVE
SOME IDEA OF THE ORDER OF MAGNITUDE. HE AGREED THAT DISCUSSION OF SPECIFIC ARRANGEMENTS SHOULD BE LEFT UNTIL AFTER THE DATES HAD
BEEN SETTLED. HE CLEARLY LOOKED FORWARD TO SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS
FROM OUR SIDE.
4.
SONG ALSO ASKED WHETHER WE HAD A SPECIFIC FORM OF WORDS TO SUGGEST FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT. I REPLIED THAT WE HAD NOT.
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