Bunten. (A back paper). par.
Mr Fry,
FED
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From:
CO Hum
02015
H-ICC
Date:
5 May 1993
CC:
Mr Thomson, Mr Ricketts, HKD
PRU
PROPOSED VISIT BY TAIWAN PARLIAMENTARIANS
1.
I was telephoned this afternoon by a
Mr Charles Cantlie. He described himself as a travel and business consultant, with links with Taiwan. (It was his grandfather who saved the life of Sun Yat-Sen, an event which the Taiwanese authorities have tried to build up into a seminal moment in UK/Taiwan relations.)
2.
Mr Cantlie said that he and Lord St John of Bletso were planning to bring to London a cross-party group of members of the Legislative Yuan (Parliament) of Taiwan. The main aim of the viist, which was planned for early July, would be to repay some of the hospitality extended to the numerous MPS who had visited Taiwan in the recent past. He sketched out an outline programme, which would include a reception in the Houses of Parliament, a lot of golf and some meetings with "community leaders". Mr Cantlie said he would welcome HMG's advice, but avoided my question on the role which he envisaged HMG might play. He concluded that it would be best to discuss matters face to face, and we agreed that he would call on me at 11.15am on Tuesday 11 May.
3.
I should be grateful if a member of the Department could take part in that meeting, and if the Department could give some prior thought to the questions likely to be raised. Contacts between parliamentarians are relatively harmless (although the Chinese Embassy will be exercised) but contacts between ministers and elected members of the Parliament of the "Republic of China" raise problems of quite a different order.
4.
I should be grateful if we could discuss this on the afternoon of 10 May.
Cottum
CO Hum
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