57
CONFIDENTIAL TO IMMEDIATE FCO
012041
MDHIAN 6648
from Pakking
CONFIDENTIAL
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 891
OF 280419Z JUNE 93
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, TOKYO
INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG
PERSONAL FOR HUM, AUSS
E
02111
HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR DINHAM, GOVERNMENT HOUSE
(50
FCO TELNO 399 AND HONG KONG TELNO 1042: POSSIBLE VISIT BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE, 9 JULY
1.
I AM GRATEFUL FOR THIS INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARAMETERS FOR A SHORT VISIT TO PEKING.
2.
AS SEEN FROM HERE A PROGRAMME CONFINED TO 9 JULY AND INVOLVING TRAVEL BY COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS WOULD BE SO TIGHT AS TO MAKE IT A VERY RISKY OPTION. THERE WOULD BE NO MARGIN FOR ERROR, EG LATE ARRIVAL FROM TOKYO. THE SUGGESTED TIMINGS IN PARA 3 OF TUR ARE OPTIMISTIC AS REGARDS TRAVEL TO AND FROM THE AIRPORT, EVEN WITH OUTRIDERS: THE JOURNEY CURRENTLY TAKES LONGER THAN USUAL BECAUSE OF EXTENSIVE DIVERSIONS DUE TO ROAD WORKS. I DOUBT WHETHER THE VISIT TO THE FORBIDDEN CITY COULD BE FITTED IN (AND AN ''EXTENDED DOOR-STEP' FOR WHICH THERE WOULD HARDLY BE TIME, WOULD NOT DETER THE HONG KONG PRESS FROM DOGGING THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S FOOTSTEPS IF HE WENT THERE).
3.
MORE SUBSTANTIVELY, I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER IN TERMS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND QIAN QICHEN TO
PROPOSE TIMINGS WHICH WOULD ALLOW FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF QIAN GIVING A MEAL. I CANNOT OFFHAND THINK OF ANY OTHER FOREIGN MINISTER WHO HAS BEEN HERE IN RECENT YEARS FOR SUCH A SHORT TIME.
SO I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND THE ALTERNATIVE OPTION IN PARA 6 OF TUR. EVERYTHING COULD THEN BE FITTED IN, INCLUDING A PROPER BRIEFING SESSION TO GO OVER THE GROUND, AND THERE WOULD PRESUMABLY BE SOME, IF NOT MUCH FLEXIBILITY OVER THE DEPARTURE TIME IN CASE THE SECRETARY OF STATE WANTED TO EXTEND HIS TALK WITH QIAN.
5.
IF CHARTERING AN AIRCRAFT FROM TOKYO IS RULED OUT FOR ANY REASON WE WILL HAVE TO DO THE BEST WE CAN IN THE TIME ALLOWED BY THE COMMERCIAL FLIGHT OPTION. BUT I THINK THE FORBIDDEN CITY VISIT
MIGHT NOT BE FEASIBLE.
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CONFIDENTIAL TO
IMMEDIATE FCO