GRS 550
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKPY 3109OOZ
CONFIDENTIAL
FM BTC HONG KONG 31052OZ AUGUST 82
TO IMMEDIATE D O I
TELEGRAM NUMBER INDUS 122 OF 31 AUGUST
AND TO PRIORITY PEKING
PERSONAL FOR MANZIE
43
M IF T: GUANGDONG NUCLEAR PROJECT
dowe Af 31/8! Pas pol
HKK 166|1
MIPT HAS BEEN SEEN AND AGREED BY MARSHALL AND
PLAIL. THIS TELEGRAM HAS NOT REPEAT NOT.
2. OUR IMPRESSION HERE IS THAT MARSHALL HAS GIVEN A REASONABLY FULL, IF SOMETIMES COLOURFUL, ACCOUNT OF HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE. PLAIL WAS PRESENT THROUGHOUT
THE DEBRIEFING AND CORRECTED MARSHALL ON CERTAIN DETAILS. HE WAS ALSO AT PAINS AFTERWARDS IN PRIVATE TO CONFIRM THE ACCURACY OF ALL THAT HAD BEEN SAID.
3. ONE SIGNIFICANT POINT EMERGED ONLY AT OUR SECOND MEETING WITH MARSHALL. THE CHINESE, DOUBTLESS PICKING UP THE LEAD THAT MARSHALL GAVE THEM, READ HIM THE TEXT OF A MESSAGE WHICH THEY WISHED TO SEND TO PREMIER ZHAO ZIYANG IN PEKING
AND WHICH THEY WISHED MARSHALL TO GIVE TO MRS THATCHER. THE GIST OF THIS WAS THAT THE PROJECT SHOULD BE DISCUSSED WITH MRS THATCHER DURING HER FORTHCOMING VISIT AND THAT THE CHINESE WISHED MARSHALL TO LEAD FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS ON THE UK/US PROJECT. MARSHALL TOLD THE CHINESE THAT HE COULD ONLY
AGREE TO THIS IF A SENTENCE WAS ADDED RECORDING HIS REFUSAL TO
ACCEPT LEADERSHIP OF THE PROJECT TEAM. THIS RIDER WAS APPARENTLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE CHINESE BUT FURTHER DISCUSSION
OF THE TEXT WAS CONFUSED BY THE MISUNDERSTANDING OVER THE MANZIE MESSAGE (SEE PARA 6 OF MIPT). MARSHALL LEFT IT WITH HIS CHINESE HOSTS THAT HE WOULD GIVE A MORE MEASURED VIEW
VIA WEEDON (EX GEC REPRESENTATIVE HERE).
4. GIVEN THE OBVIOUS SENSITIVITY OF THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE PRIME MINISTER'S FORTHCOMING VISIT AND THE RISK OF MUDDLING THE
AGENDA I HAVE ADVISED MARSHALL TO AVOID ANY ATTEMPT AT
AGREEING A TEXT OF A MESSAGE WITH THE CHINESE THROUGH THE
WEEDON CHANNEL. WEEDON WILL HOWEVER SEEK TO CONFIRM THE
GENERAL SENSE OF THE MESSAGE DESCRIBED IN MY PRECEDING PARAGRAPH. WE ARE ALSO ARRANGING FOR SEATON TO ACCOMPANY WEEDON
TO KEEP A WEATHER EYE ON THESE EXCHANGES. SUCH A VISIT WOULD
ALSO ENABLE SEATON TO CONFIRM THAT THE MANZIE MESSAGE IS NOW
FULLY TAKEN AND UNDERSTOOD BY THE GUANGDONG GOVERNMENT AND TO
SEEK CORROBORATION OF THE MAPSHALL ACCOUNT OF HIS
DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE.
Afly
CONFIDENTIAL
15. THE
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