TNAG-0744-FCO40-948-Relations-between-China-and-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 60

香港總督官邸

Das Retine,

CONFIDENTIAL

Akk

1.CC Mr Costaz

2. Mr Quanti 201 for dinte sulomission

THE OFFICE. THE GOVERNOR FLAGSTAFF HOUSE

HONG KONG

RECEIVED PAGE NO. 51

N 2

December 1978

Seef 220 524

OFFICER

INDIX

PA

REGISTRY Action Taken

sef

INVITATION TO VISIT PEKING

1. I gave a lunch on 13 December for Wang K'uang, the Director of the NCNA, who arrived here in July. He was accompanied by Li Chu-sheng, the Second Director, and other members of his staff. On my side there were Jack Cater, Sir Y K Kan, Li Fook-kow, David Wilson and Ia in Orr.

2. This is the first time I have arranged a lunch specifically for the Director of the NCNA, although Li, when he was Acting Director, attended a lunch at Government House in April in honour of the Director of Museums and Archaeological Sites who had come from Peking to open the Chinese Archaeological Exhibition. The lunch was intended as a measured response to the Chinese up-grading of the post and Wang's call on me on taking up his appointment in September. I first invited him in mid-November, but he had left for medical treatment in Peking and has only recently returned.

3. During the lunch they persistently pushed at me an invitation to visit Peking, and suggested that Sir Y K Kan should come too. Wang first asked if I would like to visit Peking again, the implication was clear, but I turned the question by reminiscing about my last visit in 1964. After a decent interval of ten minutes or more, the Second Director returned to the charge by rounding off a discussion about Hong Kong's part in the modernisation programme, and the importance of thinking in terms of mutual cooperation between China and Hong Kong, by saying "and that is why we are inviting you to visit Peking". Thus prodded, Wang said

if you visit Peking our leaders would receive you". When I asked him what they would wish to discuss he tried to throw the ball back into my court, but finished by saying this was a bridge that could be crossed when we got there.

Rom

RJT McLaren Esq

Hong Kong and General Department

FCO

CONFIDENTIAL

/ 4.

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