CONFIDENTIAL
participate in any mission to Canton in which CLP was not represented.
He was therefore recommending that we reject the visit to Canton and
tell the Chinese that GEC would only participate in a mission which
included CLP.
Mr Havelock felt that this was the right course of action while at the
same time we had to recognise that Lu Ying does have influence in
Guangdong and in turning down an immediate mission, we must take care
not to cause him a loss of prestige. Mr Paul felt that this should not
be difficult to arrange as we could produce a subtle form of words to
the effect that a mission was "under consideration" or "not appropriate
at this time"; there was no question of an absolute rejection. All
present then agreed that the Chen Gang invitation would stand, but that
an Anglo-US mission to Canton should be avoided.
ACTION
Mr Lippitt asked what further soundings could be made in Peking and
Paris. The visit of the Lord Privy Seal, who was to see Premier Zhao,
was rather fortuitous and further consideration should be given
dependent upon the outcome of that meeting, although it was unlikely
that a politically orientated visit would look at projects in such
detail. It was agreed that Mr Brice would do a note of this meeting
and prepare a summary which could be used as a background note for
Peking, Hong Kong, Washington and Paris and at the same time Mr Paul was
to prepare a Line to Take with the Chinese.
Subject to the views of
Peking and Hong Kong, this Line to Take would also be passed through
Mr Thomson to Lu Ying.
Mr Brice
Mr Paul
With regard to CLP and its suspicion about our activities, it was agreed
that Mr March should inform them as well of the line we are taking with
the Chinese. It would also be necessary to handle our relations with
the AEA, Westinghouse and Bechtel carefully, particularly in