Mr Hum
RESTRICTED
M
Thehutts
a
2914
Mr Bunker Mis Son, ox
HKB 011
011/6
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
30 APR 1993
Pa kels with Parl
стоо
From:
H L1 Davies
Far Eastern Department
Date:
23 April 1993
DESK OFFICER
REGISTRY
Cc:
INDEX
PA Action Taken
Mr Morris, HKD Dr Bristow-Smith
PARLIAMENTARY CONTACTS WITH CHINA
1.
from the
Earlier this
floated week I saw a reference to ideas
by
Sir Michael Marshall that it might be helpful to have some sort of contact between Parliamentarians of the UK and of China to help move forward the Hong Kong problem. You quite rightly recommended against this very unfocussed idea. I pointed out in a manuscript minute that Sir M Marshall had tried the same idea some two years
This had
invitation ago.
eventually ended up in an British Group of the IPU to Wan Li, then Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. This visit was
Ι subsequently
over by the FCO as a Category
visit and
formal invitations were elicited from and issued by the
and the Lord Chancellor. The visit was aborted at the last
minute, allegedly
Li.
taken
Speaker
health on
grounds
learnt subsequently domestic differences of view about the way such a visit should be handled which ultimately frustated Wan Li and led to his
it off in pique.)
affecting Wan
were on other channels that there
(We
internal
calling
2.
the
from
There remains nctionally on the table the invitation Speaker and Lord Chancellor to the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC. It is perhaps for consideration whether we might not encourage Sir M Marshall to channel his enthusiasms for
UK/China Parliamentary
into resurrecting the
invitation. There is now a new incumbent in that position in the
NPC, namely Qiao Shi.
some
contact
RESTRICTED