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however that the first stopover might be difficult logistically for the Prime Minister. The Foreign Secretary would in any case propose to spend some hours in Hong Kong on his way to Peking, which should take some

of the pressure off. He would be able to meet and talk to senior Hong Kong personalities and the press.

PROGRAMME

It

During his own time in Hong Kong, the Prime Minister should certainly meet the Executive Council. A number of leading personalities are likely to be away from the territory at that time, and the Legislative Council will have been dissolved in August, in preparation for the elections that are to be held on 12 15 September. will therefore not be possible to arrange a formal meeting between the Prime Minister and Legislative Councillors, although the Governor will of course make arrangements for him to meet political leaders informally. The Prime Minister should take in a helicopter tour and would need to give a

full press conference, and some one

to one press interviews. He should also aim to meet British businessmen in Hong Kong at a lunch which the senior British Trade Commissioner

could host.

In China, there would be meetings with Premier Li Peng (probably preceding the airport MOJ signing ceremony); with General Secretary Jiang Zemin and probably with President Yang Shangkun. The Chinese would give the Prime Minister a welcoming banquet and it would

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