10 June 1992
M3027/1
80H.
PA
97
B H Dinwiddy Esq
British High Commission OTTAWA
Dear Mr Durwiddy
VISIT OF GOVERNOR OF HONGKONG TO OTTAWA
1. Many thanks for your letter of 28 May.
2. I confirm that the change of Governor has not affected plans for the visit to Canada in October. I understand that precise dates are still not firm (they depend on the date of the new Governor's first address to the Legislative Council in Hong Kong. But I think the planning assumption is that the visit will be from 19 to 25 October.
3. On who should take the lead in organising the visit, I suggest that this should be the HKETO, in close cooperation with yourselves. That is certainly the way we used to organise visits by the Governor to Washington in my time. Overseas visits by the Governor are for the Hong Kong Government rather than for HMG to arrange, so we ourselves do not get closely involved. I suggest therefore that you put HKETO clearly in the lead, obtaining guidance as necessary from the Hong Kong Government, with yourselves in support.
Yours sincerely BEdward
PF Ricketts
Hong Kong Department
BE3ABF