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FM PEKING
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TELNO 713
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INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
129
100371
MDLIAN 4794
PERSONAL FOR HUM, AUSS, FROM AMBASSADOR HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR PS/GH
128
FCO TELNO 303: VISIT OF SIR PERCY CRADOCK
1.
I PASSED ON SIR PERCY'S MESSAGE IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF TUR WHEN I HAD A PRIVATE WORD WITH JIANG ENZHU AT THE END OF THIS MORNING'S TALKS.
2.
JIANG SAID THAT THE CHINESE HAD NOTED THE PRESS REPORTS AND ENTIRELY UNDERSTOOD THAT SIR PERCY WOULD NOT WISH TO DISCUSS HONG KONG OR THE CURRENT NEGOTIATIONS WHILE HE WAS IN PEKING.
WOULD NOT WANT TO CAUSE HIM ANY EMBARRASSMENT AND WOULD AVOID
RAISING HONG KONG ISSUES WITH HIM. JIANG NOTED THAT SIR PERCY WAS INTERESTED IN HEARING ABOUT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ECONOMY AND CHINESE FOREIGN POLICY, NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. HE WOULD BE VERY READY TO DISCUSS THESE TOPICS WITH SIR PERCY.
3.
JIANG DID NOT VOLUNTEER INFORMATION AS TO WHAT MEETINGS OR MEALS THE CHINESE ENVISAGED DURING SIR PERCY'S VISIT AND I DID NOT THINK IT RIGHT TO PRESS HIM ON THIS OCCASION. BUT I SHALL DO WHAT I CAN TO STEER THE CHINESE TOWARDS SOCIAL EVENTS RATHER THAN FORMAL MEETINGS. IT IS NONETHELESS POSSIBLE THAT THE CHINESE WILL ARRANGE FOR SIR PERCY TO SEE A LEADER WHILE HE IS HERE, POSSIBLY SOMEONE LIKE WU XUEQIAN, THE FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER, OR EVEN JIANG ZEMIN, IN THE ABSENCE OF LI PENG (ASSUMING HE IS STILL ON HIS SICK BED) AND QIAN QICHEN (WHO WILL BE TRAVELLING). SIR PERCY WOULD HAVE TO DECIDE FOR HIMSELF WHETHER HE WISHED TO AGREE TO SUCH A MEETING: IT
IS UNLIKELY THAT THE CHINESE WOULD SAY ANYTHING TO ME MUCH IN
ADVANCE.
MCLAREN
YYYY
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