TNAG-0527-FCO40-622-Visit-of-James-Callaghan--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-1975 — Page 25

CONFIDENTIAL

LUKK 3/548/10°

13)

Mr Cortazzi

SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO HONG KONG AND PEKING

1. I promised to consider the desirability of your detaching yourself from the Secretary of State's party after the visit to Peking next May, so that you could return to Hong Kong to brief the Executive Council on the discussions with the Chinese.

2. The Governor will, of course, receive the full records of the Secretary of State's meetings in Peking which might well form the basis of the Governor's briefing of his Executive Council. However, from the general point of view of our relations with Hong Kong, your return there would do nothing but good. Indeed, it was our original aim that the Secretary of State should do this by arranging for Hong Kong to be the last place he visits during his Far East tour. FED see no objection to your doubling back on your tracks in this way.

3. This is, of course, subject to PSD having the money.

I am quite sure that Hong Kong would be willing to pay the expenses involved but I do not recommend this as appropriate in the conduct of relations between Britain and a colonial territory.

милы

PL C'Keeffe

1 December 1975

Сс

Mr Male

Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept.

CONFIDENTIAL

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