TNAG-0369-FCO40-415-Visit-of-Edward-Heath--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Hong-Kong--12-1-1974 — Page 20

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CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

LAST

REF.

RECENS REGIST.de. D1

107

AIT

18 DEC 1993

HKK 3/548/7.

(FE)

1973

TO FLASH GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELNO 1201 OF 17 DECEMBER/INFO IMMEDIATE

PEKING.

PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO HONG KONG

1. THE PRIME MINISTER HAS RELUCTANTLY DECIDED THAT IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE FOR HIM TO VISIT HONG KONG AND CHINA IN JANUARY.

2. WE ARE REPEATING TO YOU FCO TELEGRAM NO 1324 TO PEKING, WHICH CONTAINS THE TEXT OF A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM THE PRIME MINISTER

TO CHOU EN-LAT. AS YOU WILL SEE FROM THIS, THE PRIME MINISTER HAS SPOKEN ABOUT POSTPONING RATHER THAN CANCELLING HIS VISIT TO CHINA.

THE SAME APPLIES TO HONG KONG.

3. WE OURSELVES ARE VERY SORRY ABOUT THIS DEVELOPMENT. WE ARE MOST CRATEFUL TO YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK WHICH YOU HAVE DONE IN MAKING

PREPARATIONS FOR THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT.

DOUGLAS-HOME

COPIES SENT TO NO 10 DOWNING STREET]

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