TNAG-0743-FCO40-947-Relations-between-China-and-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 163

布政司署

CONFIDENTIAL

香港下亞畢道

*** Our Ref.: SCR 1/4731/49

* YOUR REF.:

HKCK ozel!

RECEN

171

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

13 October

1978

17/+

RJ. 51

Mr Murytay

15/10

may

w granc

with

RJT McLaren Esq

Hong Kong & General Depart ent

F CO

Depart

REGISTRY

Action Taken

Queries 1019/10

The son

20/10

Dear Robin,

BIG MOO AND WEE WILLIE WANG SHAKE HANDS

ра

You have had an oral account during your visit here of the Chinese National Day reception on 30 September. However, you will no doubt wish to have a record of a points of interest arising in further discussions with NCNA (after 25 September when I last wrote to you on the subject) and on the day itself.

2.

During the week before the reception NCNA were fairly constantly on the telephone checking every imaginable practical and protocol point (when should drinks be proferred to the Governor and Lady MacLehose? could a gong be rung to silence guests before the toasts?). There was a last-minute flurry of concern about the flags because the Chinese had had a Union Jack specially made but one-sided and with the border by which it would have been attached to an imaginary flagpole on the wrong side given the positions that the flags had to be in behind the podium. To reassure NCNA that they finally had this sorted out, Laurence Pottinger, our Protocol Officer, had to visit the Convention Centre for a final check just 2 hours before the start of the reception.

3.

However, the main cause of slight concern during the week was the time it took NCNA to agree on the toasts (on which they were consulting Peking). It was not until late on the afternoon of 29 September that this was finally sorted out. I was not too worried because NCNA's original offer to observe strictly all the protocol requirements for such an occasion meant that they were in a very weak negotiating position. What they came up with on 28 September was a suggestion that Wang K'uang should toast "The Queen and Prime Minister Callaghan", with the corollary that the reply could then be to Chairman Yeh and Chairman (sic) Hua. I gently pointed out that Hua's position as Premier was the one corresponding to the Prime Minister; but added that,

/contd....

CONFIDENTIAL