TNAG-0100-FCO40-136-Hong-Kong-royal-visits-1968 — Page 73

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CONFIDENTIAL

PROPOSED ROYAL VISIT TO SOUTH EAST ASIA:

CONFIDENTIAL

1968

(Previous Reference: RV(67) 1st Meeting Minutes)

The Committee considered a memorandun by the Commonwealth Office (RV(67) 1) on a possible Royal Visit to Malaysia and Singapore and a nenorandun by the Foreign Office (RV(67) 2) on a possible visit to Thailand

and Cambodia.

THE CHAIRMAN said that the advice contained in the two memorama before the Committee was that, subject to consideration of the likely impact of further United Kingdon decisions on the Defence Review, The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh night pay a visit to South East Asia in March, 1968 which would include Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand but would omit Cambodia.

In discussion the following points were nade

(a) In view of the climate it might be preferable for a visit to take

which the Royal place in January after the end of Ramadan or in February engagements would permit rather than in March when the weather would be

hot.

For

(b) If as a result of the Defence Review Singapore had to be omitted from the itinerary because of the Review's impact on her economy and thus on her political outlook it would be difficult to visit Malaysia alone. reasons of security Brunei should not be included in the itinerary; should Hong Kong. It would be impracticable to link a visit to South East Asia with a visit to Australia and New Zealand since such a combined visit

would prove to be too exhausting.

nor

(c) Although a decision not to visit Cambodia (even informally) for the reasons given in RV(67) 2 might create difficulties for HM Ambassador in Rhnom Penh, Cambodia was not one of our partners in the South East Asia Treaty Organisation, Thailand was;

and Thailand merited a return State

Visit. It was possible that the Philippines Government might invite The Queen to visit their country if she were to be in South East Asia. It would be well to examine the implications of such an invitation when the Committee further considered the possible tour in May.

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CONFIDENTIAL