TNAG-0841-FCO40-1050-Visit-of-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governor-of-Hong-Kong--to-Chi-1979 — Page 255

GR 228

UNCLASSIFIED

DESBKY FCO 24096CZ

DESKBY PEKING 940438Z

See

35

FM HONG KONG 040350Z MAR 79

TO IMMEDIATE F.C.0.

TELEGRAM NUMBER 336 OF A MARCH 1979

HKCE 026/30.51

5 MAR 1979

34

INDEX

N2

763

Su 39

AND TO IMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

INFO IMMEDIATE (D/B) PEKING

婴

PRESS STORY THAT GOVERNOR WILL VISIT CHINA.

1. TODAY'S ENCLIGN LANGUAGE STANDARD CARRIES A FLUMT PACE LEAD HEADLINED: **COVERNOR TO VISIT BEIJING, WITHOUT GIVING ANY COURCE, THE STORY SAYS THAT THE GOVERNOR RECEIVED AN INVITATION A FORTNIGHT AGO, THAT CONSULTATIONS ARE NOW TAKING PLACE ABOUT DATES AND OTHER DETAILS BETWEEN HONG KONG, WHITEHALL AND DENING: AND TANT, ALTHOUGH NO DATE HAS YET BEEN FIXED, AN OFFICIAL VISIT COULD TAKE PLACE AS EARLY AS APRIL OR JUNG **

}

*

3. THE STORY SAYS THE INVITATION IS SEEN AG *ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT STEP IN THE IMPROVING RELATIONS BETWEEN CHINA, BRITAIN AND HONG KONG'', AND THAT IT FOLLOWS A NUMBER OF RECENT POINTERS'', SUCH

AS THE GOVERNOR'S ATTENDANCE AT THE 1 OCTOBER NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS.

3. IN ANSWER TO PRESS ENQUIRIES, GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICE

ARE SAYING THAT THEY CAN NEITHER CONFIRM NOR CENY THE STORY, (THIS CONFIRMS TELECOMS LAST RIGHT POLITICAL ADVISER/MCLAREN • (HK AND G DEPT) AND POLITICAL ADVISER/C BASSY PEKING),

MACLEHOSE

FILES

HK & GD (6)

FED

NEWS D

OID

IFD

FS

PS/LORD GORONWY

PS/PUS

SIR A DUFF

SIR A PARSONS MR CORTAZZI MR MURRAY

COPIES TO

MR BRAY

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE, LONDON

ROBERTS

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