TNAG-0333-FCO40-369-Visits-of-Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Af-1972 — Page 94

CYPHER/CAT A

MFCO 111200Z

RESTRICTED:

DESKBY 128 128 Z

1972

160

hile

TO PRIORITY PEKING TELMO 805 OF 11 OCTOBER, INFO HONG KONG,

FOLLOWING FROM NEWS DEPARTMENT.

YOUR TELNO 1815 (NOT TO HONG KONG): SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT PRESS ARRANGONCITS,

1.

THE NEWS ABOUT THE VISAS FOR BRITISH JOURNALISTS IS MOST WELCOME, WE SHALL INFORM GAVSHON, AIKHAN AND SMITH (OF UPI) OF THE NEED TO APPLY INDIVIDUALLY,

2. YOUR PARA 3: JOURNALISTS HAVE MADE A BLOCK BOOKING WITH BOAC WHICH WOULD, IF THE CHINESE AGREED, MEAN THE FOLLOWING INWARD ITINERARY:

29 OCTOBER

0930.

DEPART LONDONG

23 OCTOBER

P.M.

ARRIVE HONG KONG,

24 OCTOBER

0930

P.M.

DEPART FOR CANTON VIA LO WU, ARRIVE PEKING.

||

3. IN COMMUNICATING THIS PROPOSED SCHEDULE TO

CHINESE,

PLEASE POINT OUT THAT, IN VIEW OF NEED TO MAKE EARLY BOOKING TO OBTAIN FARE REDUCTION, JOURNALISTS HAVE HAD TO SELECT A PARTICULAR DATE. TO CHANGE THIS NOW COULD WELL INVOLVE A CANCELLATION FEE. (IN FACT, ALTHOUGH THIS POINT SHOULD ONLY BE PUT TO THE CHINESE IN THE LAST RESORT, THE STOPOVER IN HONG KONG COULD PROVIDE A CERTAIN DEGREE OF FLEXIBILITY, .E. JOURNALISTS COULD STAY UNTIL

25 OCTOBER IN HONG KONG).

4.