TNAG-0841-FCO40-1050-Visit-of-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governor-of-Hong-Kong--to-Chi-1979 — Page 224

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FM HONG KONG 218955Z MAR 79

TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TELEGRAM NUMBER 46 OF 21 MARCH

INFO PRIORITY F C O

FOLLOWING FROM POLITICAL ADVISER. YOUR TELNO 23: GOVERNOR'S VISIT.

Hack 226/7... 51

RALLIVED

INDEX

2 2 MAR 1979

PA

Action

ker

no J22.3

See

1. THANK YOU. YOU WILL HAVE SEEN FROM MY TELNO 45 THAT I SPOKE SIMILARLY TO NCNA YESTERDAY,

2. DIET. WE ALL (INCLUDING THE KANS) PREFER EUROPEAN BREAKFASTS. OTHERWISE CHINESE FOOD WOULD BE FINE. NO OTHER SPECIAL REQUESTS

FOR FACILITIES.

55

3. VISNEWS. WE HAVE DISCOURAGED JOURNALISTS HERE FROM ACCOMPANYING THE PARTY ON THE GROUNDS THAT A TAIL OF JOURNALISTS WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR THIS VISIT. WE BELIEVE THE CHINESE HAVE ACTED SIMILARLY. NEVERTHELESS, WE CERTAINLY DO NOT WISH A NEWS BLACKOUT.

WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR VISNEWS TO FILM THE GOVERNOR'S ARRIVAL IN CHINA, THE ARRIVAL AT ONE CALL (SAY LI QIANG) AND ONE TOURIST ACTIVITY ? IT WOULD NOT BE A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE THEM WITH US ALL THE TIME: THAT WOULD CAUSE GREAT OFFENCE TO JOURNALISTS HERE WHO HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO GO. IN ADDITION WE SHALL BE MAKING ARRANGEMENTS

TO SEND BRIEF DETAILS OF WHAT THE GOVERNOR HAS BEEN DOING TO GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES HERE.

4. XIAN AND LANZHOU. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE CULTURAL SITES (INCLUDING IN PARTICULAR QIN SHI HUANG'S TOMB AND THE HOT SPRINGS AT LI SHAN WHERE THE XIAN INCIDENT TOOK PLACE). IF CONVENIENT, IT MIGHT ALSO BE A GOOD IDEA TO CALL IN AT THE ROLLS ROYCE FACTORY. IN LANZHOU WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE HISTORICAL SITES AS WELL AS MODERN DEVELOPMENT. A DRIVE IN THE SURROUNDING COUNTRYSIDE WOULD

BE VERY WELCOME. YOU MIGHT EXPLAIN THAT THE GOVERNOR WAS THERE BEFORE 1949 AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING OF THE OLD AND THE NEW TO COMPARE HOW IT HAS CHANGED.

MACLEHOSE

PILES

HK & GD PED

MR CORBAZZI MR MURRAY

[SENT BY BAG TO FEKING]

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