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CONFIDENTIAL
From :
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Date :
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124/2
21
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PS/Mr Goodlad
24 February 1993
Mr Hum
Mr Ricketts, HKD/
Mr Davies, FED Mr Pellew, NAD
E24
Sir J Coles
2472
BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES: CHINA AND MFN
1. Following your consultations with Washington, you discussed the content of my minute of 22 February with the Minister on 23 February. You both concluded that an early visit by Mr Goodlad to the United States to argue our case on MFN would not be desirable. It was always difficult to find the right opposite number for a Minister of State in the Washington Administration and the Asian team were not yet in place. A visit by the Minister following on immediately from visits by the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State (and senior officials) could look like overkill and might be misunderstood by the Americans.
2. You concluded that a visit in the autumn (as suggested in my minute of 18 February to Mr Pellew) could be more useful. You suggested that the Minister might take a full week for the visit, which could include several speech-making engagements on the UK role in Asia (based on the policy paper anticipated by May). Mr Goodlad might take the opportunity to visit some of our other Missions outside Washington, wearing his Administration hat.
3. I am copying this and my previous minute to Mr Pellew.
HKCD (21/3
RF
0 1 MAR 1993
G.J. Dovey.
G J DOREY
IN
CONFIDENTIAL