TNAG-0843-FCO40-1053-Visit-of-Lord-Carrington--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-1979 — Page 195

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Private Secretary

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CONFIDENTIAL

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Sir A Duff

Sir A Parsons

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SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO ASIA

1.

The Chinese have welcomed the prospect of a visit by

Dr Owen to China between 8 and 14 April. Mr Cradock has proposed a possible programme. What other visits in the area might Dr Owen

make?

2.

Washington telegram No 560 reports that US officials see little value in a meeting of CENTO in Washington from 17-19 April which Dr Owen would otherwise have had to fit into his itinerary. The Secretary of State could therefore now consider visits to

ASEA countries.

3. The Secretary of State has referred, in conversations with a number of ASEAN Ministers, to his wish to visit ASEAN as soon as a

convenient opportunity can be found. On 24 October 1978 he told the Singapore Foreign Minister that he intended to visit China at Easter 1979 and might then visit South East Asia in stages. On the same occasion he had said that, if the Malaysians allowed the Concorde service to Singapore to restart he would wish to be on the inaugural flight. On 23 November he told the Malaysian Foreign Minister that he very much wanted to visit South East Asia, and that in the case of Malaysia, a Commonwealth country, he felt free to invite himself. On 28 November the Thai Foreign Minister formally invited Ir Owen to visit Thailand, as evidence of the extent of British interest in ASEAN; Dr Owen said that he hoped to be able to go by the end of 1979. Indeed, this might be possible in the Spring, even if he had to make two trips to cover the entire ASEAN region. An on 29 November 1978, when the Indonesian Foreign Minister invited Dr and Mrs Owen to visit Indonesia, if they visited ASEAN, Dr Owen replied that he wished to visit South East Asia and might be able to do so in Spring 1979.

CONFIDENTIAL

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