TNAG-0368-FCO40-414-Visits-of-UK-Government-Ministers-to-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 43

TYC 2/V/13

143

RESTRICTED

Reference

NOTE FOR RECORD

2

PA Z THE

Hkk 3/548/3

• Second stop may now be Delhi; DTI will inform

us

VISIT OF MR WALKER AND MR HESELTINE TO CHINA AND HONG KONG MR WALKER'S VISIT TO SINGAPORE

MARCH/APRIL 1973

$

1. Mr Corley, CRE 4, DTI, telephoned me this morning to answer and comment on various points raised in my letter to him of 2 March on the general administrative arrangements for the above Visits.

2. COMPOSITION OF THE DELEGATION

PARA 2: This is agreed, apart from amendments shown to Appendix I, and also the probability of the British Civil Aviation Attache (based at Hong Kong) being added to the Delegation List. This is under consideration Embassy should not yet be informed.

3. PARA 3: Agreed that wives should have serial numbers.

4. PARA 4: Description of each delegate and decorations are agreed except for modifications to Appendix I.

5. TRAVEL

PARAS 5-9: There is a modification here. Mr and Mrs Heseltine, Mr Lane Mr Le B Jones will make a separate

separ tour of factory visits (venue at present unknown) on 29 and 30 March and will fly to Shanghai either on the evening of the 30th or first thing on the 31st to leave for Hong Kong with the Secretary of State. An escorting officer will accompany them on their separate programme. Mr Mason will either travel to Hong Kong from Peking with the Secretary of State remain in Peking and catch up with the main party either at Shanghai or at Hong Kong.

or

In addition to Mr Corley and Mr Lane, Mr Caines will now also be a special courier.

Mr Corley said that for the outward scheduled flight London-Hong Kong on 23/24 March the Secretary of State wishes to be met by Embassy representatives at Rome and Beirut but not otherwise; he does not wish to be met on the return journey Singapore-London on 3/4 April. The question of whether Mr Heseltine wishes to be met going to and from Hong Kong is not yet settled.

BOAC will lay on a Super VC10 for Flight BA 920 London- Hong Kong which will arrive at Hong Kong on 24 March at 1130 hours local (ie 24 hours ahead of normal schedule), The BOAC VC10 charter aircraft will depart from Hong Kong at 1400 hours local; the question of an intermediate stop in China is under consideration. For the return journey Shanghai-Hong Kong on 31 March the BOAC VC10 will depart at 1030 hours local and at present it is assumed that there will be no intermediate stop. Mr Corley is sendin a telegram to the Governor, Hong/Kong suggesting that, as the latter is already giving Mr Heseltine an informal lunch on 24 March, the Secretary of State? (and all the rest of the party ?) joins them for lunch.

RESTRICTED

DD 897152 154596 500M 2/72 GH AA/T