SECRET
02111
SECRET
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 291030Z FCO
TELNO 901
RECEIVER
DESKO DEX
014606
MDHIAN 6814
61
993
COP COPY
OF 290954Z JUNE 93
INFO DESKBY 29103OZ HONG KONG
INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG
58
ST?
Ja mullily
meeting
16
HONG KONG TELNO 1048: POSSIBLE VISIT BY YOU TO PEKING
1. PARAGRAPH 7 OF TUR RAISES THE QUESTION OF THE TIMING OF AN APPROACH TO THE CHINESE ABOUT A VISIT BY YOU TO PEKING, SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO COME.
2.
I TOLD JIANG ENZHU DURING THE SIXTH ROUND THAT IT WAS VERY UNLIKELY THAT ANY DECISION WOULD BE TAKEN UNTIL AFTER THE 1 JULY MEETING. HIS RESPONSE WAS TO SAY THAT IF YOU WISHED TO COME ON 9 JULY (WHEN HE HAD ALREADY TOLD ME QIAN QICHEN WOULD IN PRINCIPLE BE FREE) THE SOONER A FORMAL APPROACH WAS MADE THE BETTER. I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO SEND INSTRUCTIONS TO THE MINISTER TO TAKE ACTION IN MY ABSENCE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE OPD(K) MEETING OR FAILING THAT ON 2 JULY: AN APPROACH AFTER THE SEVENTH ROUND REALLY WOULD BE TOO LATE. I AGREE WITH THE GOVERNOR THAT IN PUTTING A FORMAL PROPOSAL TO THE CHINESE IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO STRESS THE NEED FOR THE CHINESE TO GIVE US THEIR DETAILED VIEWS ON THE ELECTION COMMITTEE (AND TO PROVIDE SATISFACTORY RESPONSES ON THE THROUGH-TRAIN AND OUR OTHER THREE ISSUES) AT THE SEVENTH ROUND IF YOUR VISIT IS TO BE PRODUCTIVE.
3.
I WOULD SEE SOME ADVANTAGE IN DELAYING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF A VISIT UNTIL AFTER THE SEVENTH ROUND. APART FROM ANYTHING ELSE, IT WOULD REDUCE THE LENGTH OF THE PERIOD IN WHICH THE PRESS WOULD BE FREE TO SPECULATE ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF THE VISIT. THE CHINESE COULD PROBABLY BE PERSUADED TO AGREE TO THIS TIMING IF WE EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS NOT OUR NORMAL PRACTICE TO ANNOUNCE VISITS OF THIS KIND
MORE THAN A DAY OR TWO IN ADVANCE.
4. AS REGARDS PUBLIC PRESENTATION, I AGREE WITH THE FOUR POINTS SUGGESTED BY THE GOVERNOR IN PARAGRAPH 5 OF TUR. I THINK WE WOULD NEED ADDITIONALLY, FOR USE AT THE TIME OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT, AN EXPLANATION OF WHY YOU HAD CHOSEN THIS PARTICULAR TIME TO VISIT. THIS MIGHT DRAW ON YOUR PRESENCE IN TOKYO, THE FACT THAT THERE HAD ALREADY BEEN SEVEN ROUNDS OF TALKS, AND THE CONCERN IN HONG KONG
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