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financial and technical talks in February should be such
as to allow us to proceed to subsequent Government-to-
Government discussions in Peking with a degree of confidence
that the project will go ahead, and with substantial UK
participation.
As well as the meetings agreed during Li Peng's visit to the
UK, the visit of the Secretary of State for Industry to
China will undoubtedly shed light on progress in Chinese
thinking in the meantime and will help to keep up the
momentum of recent high-level contacts. Havelock's and my
visit will be a useful opportunity for us to prepare the
ground for Mr Jenkin's visit and to explain the UK's position
to interested parties before the Secretary of State's arrival
in Hong Kong.
I hope that the proposed visit is agreeable to you. With the
Christmas/New Year hiatus looming, it would be helpful if
you could indicate fairly soon whether the timetable and
agenda I have set out seem sensible in the light of your
knowledge of the local scene, and in particular whether you
would have any other issues which you would like to raise
with us in January or with the Chinese in February.
Copies of this letter go to Dick Clift (FCO), Sir Percy
Cradock, Sir John Fretwell, Sir Nicholas Henderson, and
Christian Adams, to ensure that a common view of the current
position is shared by us all.
Form SS 29A
DO NOT TYPE ON REVERSE- USE A FURTHER CONTINUATION SHEET
Continuation Sheet No.
File No.
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