TNAG-0843-FCO40-1053-Visit-of-Lord-Carrington--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-1979 — Page 189

GR 200

CONFIDENTIAL

R1 FCO 081912Z MAR 79

TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

CONFIDENTIAL

See BB

☺☺

TELEGRAM NUMBER 194 OF 8 MARCH

AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

HKK 026/5

LIVED BASTRY NO 51

HAR 1979

36K 0: INDEX

YOUR TELNO 1493 MY VISIT TO CHINA AND HONG KONG

T

9/3

R

1, SINCE THE TIME AVAILABLE FOR MY ASIAN TOUR IS LIMITED (PARTICULARLY WITH THE C H G M COMING UP IN AUGUST) AND I WISH

TO VISIT A NUMBER OF COMMONWEALTH CAPITALS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA AND

THE SUB-CONTINENT AS WELL AS HONG KONG, I HAVE DECIDED WITH REGRET THAT MY VISIT TO CHINA MUST BE CONFINED TO PEKING AND TO DROP THE IDEA OF A PROVINCIAL TOUR, PROVIDED THE GOVERNOR AND THE CHINESE SEE NO DIFFICULTY, I WOULD ARRIVE IN HONG KONG OVERNIGHT BY RA F VC10 FROM COLOMBO AT 0900 LOCAL TIME ON WEDNESDAY 11 APRIL, LEAVING FOR PEKING AT 0900 OR EARLIER ON THURSDAY THE 12TH TO FIT IN WITH THE BEST TIMING FOR THE CHINESE. IN ORDER TO ALLOW FOR SHORT VISITS TO SINGAPORE, KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK, DACCA, DELHI AND PROBABLY

ISLAMABAD AFTER LEAVING CHINA I WOULD PREFER TO DEPART FROM PEKING

LATE IN THE EVENING OF SATURDAY 14 APRIL, SO THAT I COULD SPEND

THAT NIGHT IN HONG KONG. I WOULD LIKE TIME FOR A MEETING WITH THE GOVERNOR BEFORE DEPARTURE FOR SINGAPORE PM ON SUNDAY 15 APRIL. 2. | SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD NOW SEEK HUANG HUA'S AGREEMENT

TO A VISIT ON THIS BASIS, EXPLAINING THAT I MUST FIT IN A NUMBER OF

VISITS TO ASIAN COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES BEFORE RETURNING TO LONDON

AND THAT I AM VERY SORRY I CANNOT THEREFORE SPEND AS LONG IN

CHINA AS I HAD ORIGINALLY HOPED. A PROGRAMME ON THE LINES OF THE PROPOSALS IN YOUR TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE LOOKS RIGHT IN PRINCIPLE, SUBJECT TO THE INEVITABLE CONSTRAINTS ON TIMING, BUT I SHOULD ALSO

BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR DETAILED SUGGESTIONS IN THE LIGHT OF THE

CHINESE RESPONSE. PLEASE ALSO TELL THE CHINESE THAT I EXPECT MY

WIFE WILL BE COMING. DETAILS OF THE REST OF THE ACCOMPANYING

PARTY WILL BE SENT TO YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

OWEN

FILES

FED,

HKIGD

MED.

SAD

SEAD

SECURITY D

PUSD

PLANNING STAFF

PCD.

NEWS.D.

Ps

PS/HR LUARA PS/LORD GORONWY ROBERTS

PS PUS

SIR.A.DUFF

ме морDA

MR J.MOBERLY HR CORTAZZ1,

CONFIDENTIAL