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TELNO 1576
OF 02180OZ SEPTEMBER 91
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fa.
YOUR TELNO'S 2728 AND 2729: VISIT OF MRS THATCHER
1. MANY THANKS FOR THE DRAFT OUTLINE PROGRAMME AND COMMENTS. MRS THATCHER'S OFFICE HAVE OBTAINED THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS FROM HER PARTY AT PRESENT IN TOKYO:
2. MRS THATCHER IS GRATEFUL FOR THE ARRANGEMENTS. SHE QUITE UNDERSTANDS ABOUT YOUR LUNCH ENGAGEMENT ON 12 SEPTEMBER, AND IS HAPPY TO HAVE A QUIET LUNCH AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE. SHE HAS ASKED IF ANYONE ELSE WOULD BE PRESENT, AND HAS SAID THAT IN PARTICULAR IF LORD GLENARTHUR WOULD BE FREE FOR LUNCH SHE WOULD BE PLEASED TO SEE HIM.
3.
THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE HELICOPTER TOUR LOOK FINE. HER OFFICE HAVE SAID THAT HER PARTY WERE PARTICULARLY KEEN THAT THE HELICOPTER SHOULD LEAVE FROM HMS TAMAR AND RETURN TO HMS TAMAR FOR THE VISIT, BUT DID NOT SAY WHY. (WE POINTED OUT THAT THE COMMERCIAL HELIPORT WAS IN ANY CASE ADJACENT TO TAMAR). THEY
ARE CONTENT TO LEAVE TO YOU WHETHER THERE IS TIME TO FIT IN A MORE DETAILED
BRIEFING ON THE AIRPORT, WITH MODEL PLANS.
4. HER OFFICE HAD NO FURTHER INSIGHTS INTO WHAT ASPECT OF TAMAR MRS THATCHER IS INTERESTED IN. (BUT MARK THATCHER IS DUE TO MAKE A RECCE VISIT TO HONG KONG ON 5-6 SEPTEMBER. WE HAVE SUGGESTED HE MIGHT MAKE CONTACT WITH GOVERNMENT HOUSE WHICH COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CLARIFY THIS POINT, AND ALSO WHY THEY WISH TO DEPART FROM AS WELL AS RETURN TO TAMAR.)
5.
APOLOGIES FOR THE MISINFORMATION IN OUR TELNO 1557. WE HAVE NOW LEARNT THAT THE DINNER ON 12 SEPTEMBER WAS ALWAYS SCHEDULED TO BE HOSTED BY ZHOU NAN. (COMMENT: AS MRS THATCHER'S OFFICE ARE NOT ARRANGING THE PROGRAMME THEY HAVE NOT ALWAYS HAD A CLEAR AND COMPLETE VIEW OF THE ARRANGEMENTS, SEE ALSO PARAS 6 AND 7 BELOW).
6.
MRS THATCHER IS GRATEFUL FOR THE OFFER OF LUNCH ON
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056677 MDHOA 9764
14 SEPTEMBER, BUT SHE HAS ALREADY ACCEPTED AN INVITATION FROM LI KA-SHING TO LUNCH DURING THE SCHEDULED BOAT TRIP.
•
7. INCIDENTALLY, WE NOW UNDERSTAND THAT MRS THATCHER WILL NOT BE TRAVELLING WITH BUSINESSMEN BUT WITH
MARK THATCHER, MRS CRAWFORD, TWO DETECTIVES,
CLARE LOWTHER AND SANDY WARFIELD (TWO MEMBERS OF HER OFFICE) AND (POSSIBLY) CAROL THATCHER. THOUGH WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS LIST IS SUBJECT TO AMENDMENT. (OF COURSE, ONLY MRS THATCHER,
MRS CRAWFORD AND ONE DETECTIVE WILL STAY AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE. THE OTHERS WILL STAY AT AN HOTEL.)
HURD
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
32
LIMITED
HKD
FED
NEWS D
NNNN
GA
DISTRIBUTION
32
PS/LORD CAITHNESS
PS/PUS
SIR J COLES
MR BURNS
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FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2728
OF 31060OZ AUGUST 91
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053102
MDHIAN 0817
YRTELNO 1557: VISIT OF MRS THATCHER
1. THANK YOU FOR THE DETAILS IN TUR. I HAVE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ON THE VARIOUS POINTS IN PARA 2:
(A) AN ADC WILL MEET MRS THATCHER ON HER ARRIVAL AND ESCORT HER
TO GOVERNMENT HOUSE.
(B) UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE AN UNBREAKABLE LUNCH ENGAGEMENT ON 12 SEPTEMBER TO SPEAK TO A GROUP OF BUSINESSMEN, BUT WOULD BE HAPPY TO BRIEF MRS THATCHER LATER IN THE DAY. SHE WOULD BE WELCOME TO HAVE A QUIET LUNCH AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE BUT MIGHT WISH TO MAKE OTHER ARRANGEMENTS. CONSERVATIVES ABROAD, FOR EXAMPLE, MIGHT BE WILLING TO HOST A LUNCH. GRATEFUL FOR ADVICE ON THIS AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE.
(C) HELICOPTER TOUR OF THE TERRITORY WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT
INTRODUCTION TO HONG KONG. THIS COULD INCLUDE A SHORT STOP AT THE CHEK LAP KOK SITE, BUT THERE IS NOT MUCH TO SEE THERE YET. OVERFLYING THE SITE WOULD PROBABLY BE SUFFICIENT, BUT IF MRS THATCHER WAS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED WE COULD ARRANGE A MORE DETAILED BRIEFING, WITH MODEL PLANS AFTER THE FLIGHT.
(D) A VISIT TO TAMAR COULD BE ARRANGED, BUT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW WHAT ASPECT MRS THATCHER IS INTERESTED IN. CBF WILL WISH
TO BE CLOSELY INVOLVED IN ANY SUCH ARRANGEMENTS.
(E) WE UNDERSTAND FROM LADY DUNN'S OFFICE THAT THE DINNER ON 12
SEPTEMBER IS TO BE HOSTED BY ZHOU NAN, AND NOT LADY DUNN AS SUGGESTED IN TUR. LADY DUNN IS SCHEDULED TO HOST A DINNER FOR MRS
THATCHER ON 13 SEPTEMBER. ZHOU NAN HAS NOT BEEN INVITED TO THAT.
(F) I WOULD LIKE TO HOST A MEAL FOR MRS THATCHER. LUNCH ON SATURDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER WOULD APPEAR TO BE THE ONLY POSSIBILITY. THIS COULD INCLUDE SOME OF THE BUSINESSMEN ACCOMPANYING MRS
THATCHER. GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD PROVIDE US WITH DETAILS. ALTERNATIVELY I COULD PUT TOGETHER A GROUP OF LOCAL POLITICAL AND
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