TNAG-0841-FCO40-1050-Visit-of-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governor-of-Hong-Kong--to-Chi-1979 — Page 264

GRS 220- CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING 223152 FEB 79

SKBY BOTH ADDRESSEES 220830Z

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TLELGRAM NUMBER 254 OF 22 FEBRUARY

AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG.

HCK 226/3

2 ZFED

PA

21

INDEX

25

HONG KONG TELNO 306%

VISIT TO CHINA.

No

19.28.2

1. I AGREE WITH THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS REGARDING BOTH TIMING OF AN ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE LINE TO TAKE WITH THE PRESS, WHICH IF YOU AGREE WE SHOULD ALSO USE HERE. IF THE STORY DOES LEAK PRIOR TO AN ANNOUNCEMENT WE MIGHT RESPOND TO DIRECT ENQUIRIES BY NOT DENYING THE RUMOUR AND SAYING AN EARLY ANNOUNCE MENT WAS EXPECTED.

29 I AM SURE IT WOULD BE WRONG TO ALLOW THE PRESENT SINO- VIETNAMESE CONFLICT TO AFFECT THIS VISIT. WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF DEFENCE SALES, THERE SEEMS NO REASON NOT TO CONTINUE OUR CONTACTS WITH CHINA ON A BUSINESS AS USUAL''

BASIS,

ANY OTHER ATTITUDE WOULD RUN THE RISK OF BEING INTERPRETED BY CHINA AS SIDING WITH VIETNAM AND THE SOVIET UNION: AS SUCH IT WOULD BE A SEVERE SETBACK TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF OUR RELATIONS. TO INVOLVS HONG KONG WITH CHINESE ACTION IN VIETNAM WOULD BE A PARTICULARLY SERIOUS MOVE.

3. WE HAVE ASKED FOR A CALL ON WESTERN EUROPEAN DEPT, MFA, TO CARRY OUT YOUR INSTRUCTIONS ON AIR SERVICES (YOUR TELNO.179) AND SHALL TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INFORM NEA OF THE GOVERNOR'S

ACCEPTANCE OF LI QIANG'S INVITATION. WE SHALL ASK THE MFA TO PASS

THIS ON TO THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN TRADE AND OFFER OUR ASSISTANCE

IF REQUIRED IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE PROGRAMME OR OTHER DETAILS.

1

CRADOCK

FILES

HK-GD

FED

NEWS D

OID PUSD PS

PS/LORD GORONWY ROBERTS

Ps / Pus

SIA A DUFF

SIR A PARSONS

HA CORTAZZA

KR MURRAY

CONFIDENTIAL