TNAG-0841-FCO40-1050-Visit-of-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governor-of-Hong-Kong--to-Chi-1979 — Page 296

GR 300

SECRET

FM HONG KONG 230951Z JAN 79

SECRET

TO ROUTINE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

!

TELNO.159 OF 23 JANUARY,

!

HACK 026/3...

INFO PEKING.

No

MY TELNO.140 : INVITATION TO VISIT CHINA.

GHELEN

PA

Jralı

See

Serien Tek.

५

12

1. POLITICAL ADVISER YESTERDAY TOLD THE N.C.N.A THAT I ACCEPTED

IN PRINCIPLA THE INVITATION TO VISIT CHINA BUT WOULD NEED TO REVERT LATER TO THE QUESTION OF SPECIFIC DATES.

2. TODAY THE SECOND DIRECTOR OF N CNA, LI CHU-SHENG, CALLED ON

THE POLITICAL ADVISER. HE SAID THAT THE CHINESE THOUGHT IT APPROPRIATE THAT LI CHIANG, MINISTER FOR FOREIGN TRADE, SHOULD ISSUE THE INVITATION AND ACT AS HOST SINCE HE HAD VISITED BOTH BRITAIN AND HONG KONG AND TRADE WAS IMPORTANT IN RELATIONS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA, HE ALSO SAID THAT THE CHINESE HOPED

THE VISIT COULD BE MADE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, PREFERABLY IN THE SPRING.

3. HE SUGGESTED THAT THE POLITICAL ADVISER SHOULD CONSIDER

WHETHER THERE WERE ANY PARTICULAR MATTERS I WISHED TO RAISE. HE TURNED ASIDE A QUERY ABOUT WHAT THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP WOULD THEMSELVES WISH TO TALK ABOUT. HE ALSO ASKED WHO I

WISHED TO ACCOMPANY.

4. I TAKE THIS AS SIGNIFYING THAT THE CHINESE HAVE DECIDED THAT

PROTOCOL PROBLEMS CAN BE GOT ROUND BY ISSUING AN INVITATION

FROM LI CHIANG AND THAT THEY WOULD LIKE THE VISIT TO TAKE PLACE

SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. ALTHOUGH I DO NOT THINK THEIR WISHES CONCLUSIVE, THEY DO ADD AN ADDITIONAL ARGUMENT TO THOSE IN MY

TEL UNDER REF FOR MAKING THE VISIT BEFORE THAT OF THE SECRETARY

OF STATE, AND OF COURSE AFTER THAT OF MR VARLEY.

MACLEHOSE

FILES

HK YGD (6)

FED PS

PS/LORD GERONLY ROBERTS

PS/PUS

SIR A DUFF

Mr Cormar MR HURRAY

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