TNAG-0744-FCO40-948-Relations-between-China-and-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 61

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4. I finally said that much as I would like to visit Peking again, I was not a private person. On return I would be asked whom I had seen and what I had discussed and confidence in Hong Kong would be affected by my

I would need to reflect and consult London. He said details could be followed up through David Wilson.

answers.

5. Over the past years I have had numerous indications that an invitation could be arranged from people like Dick Li and Percy Chan. But Wang's invitation followed two much more significant approaches, both originating from Liao Ch'eng-chih. As you know he is high in the heirachy, an intimate of Teng Hsiao-peng, and now the key senior official in Peking dealing with Hong Kong and Macau affairs. Two months ago he asked a relation, Edmund Lau (Manager of the Hong Kong & Yaumatei Ferry Service, who was negotiating the hoverferry service to Canton) why I had not visited China. On Lau's asking whether he wished this enquiry passed on, Liao went through the motions of withdrawing. Secondly, when Sir Y K Pao, the shipping magnate, was in Peking in November, Liao asked him if I would go to Peking.

6. The morning after the lunch at which this invitation was issued to me, Wang rang up Sir Y K Pao and said that since I have been here a long time and relations were good and since they had agreed with what I had said in Japan on China and Sino/British/Hong Kong relations, he had received a telephone message from Peking to invite me to visit China, and to say that if I came his leaders would welcome me. Grantham had visited Peking but he had been invited by the British representative; now they wanted an invitation issued and he asked Pao to act as intermediary. When Pao asked "why use me?", the reply was that Liao Ch'eng-chih had already spoken to him about it in Peking. Pao then asked who the leaders were who would welcome me, to which the reply was that when Grantham had gone he had been received by Chou En-lai.

7. My apologies for spinning out this story in such detail. But against this background it is clear that we now have a definite invitation at Liao Ch'eng-chih's instigation promising some sort of high-level contact, which they have conveyed to us was issued on instructions, so some sort of reply must be made.

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