TNAG-0841-FCO40-1050-Visit-of-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governor-of-Hong-Kong--to-Chi-1979 — Page 270

5.

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LI EXPRESSED GREAT PLEASURE THAT I WAS GOING. HE FORESAW NO DIFFICULTIES ABOUT THE COMPOSITION OF THE PARTY BUT WOULD HAV TO CONFIRM THAT THE TIMING WAS STILL SUITABLE FOR PEKING. HE HOPED TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS BEFORE THE END OF NEXT WEEK AND AGREED THAT A BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENT THEN WOULD BE APPROPRIATE. HE CONFIRMED THAT IT WOULD BE SIMPLEST AND MOST EFFICIENT TO MAKE ARRANGMENTS DIRECTLY THROUGH NCNA HERE, PROVIDING THAT WE WERE HAPPY WITH THIS ARRANGEMENT.

6.

FOLLOWING THIS EXCHANGE, THE P.A. REFERRED TO LI'S EARLIER REQUEST FOR PERSONAL VIEWS ON THE SUBJECTS I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS (MY TEL NO. 159). HE SAID THAT WE SAW THE VISIT IN THE CONTEXT OF GREATLY IMPROVED SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS AND RELATIONS BETWEN HONG KONG AND CHINA, IT WAS THE FIRST OFFICIAL INVITATION FOR A GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG TO VISIT CHINA. IT WAS THUS AN IMPORTANT SYMBOL OF THIS IMPROVED RELATIONSHIP. IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO DEMONSTRATE TO PEOPLE IN HONG KONG THAT IT HAD THIS SYBOLIC IMPORTANCE. HE SAID THAT I WOULD WANT TO GET THE VIEWS OF THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP AND EXCHANGE IDEAS ON HOW HONG KONG FITTED INTO THE PRESENT POLICY OF MODERNISATION. I WOULD WANT TO TELL THEM ABOUT OUR OWN PLANS FOR DEVELOPMENT AND WOULD BE WILLING TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND DISCUSS ANY MATTERS CONNECTED WITH THEM. IN CANTON I WOULD WANT TO LEARN ABOUT LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA BETWEEN CANTON AND THE BORDER WHICH MIGHT AFFECT HONG

KONG,

7.

I INTEND TO TELL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ABOUT MY PLANNED VISIT ON TUESDAY. FOLLOWING THAT WE WILL CONSIDER PUBLICITY AND PRESS BRIEFING. I WILL TELEGRAPH YOU SEPARATELY ABOUT HOW WE PROPOSE

TO HANDLE THIS.

MACLEHOSE

FILES

HK & GD (6)

FED

NEWS D

OID

PUSD

PS

PS/LORD GORONWY

PS/PUS

SIR A DUFF

ROBERTS

SIR A PARSONS

MR CORTAZZI MR MURRAY

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