TNAG-0845-FCO40-1055-Visits-of-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-officials-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 208

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Private Secretary

MR BLAKER'S TRAVEL PLANS

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In the light of the Secretary of State's views (Mr Lever's minute of 30 July), Mr Blaker now plans a shorter programme as

follows :-

Thursday

13 September

23

1

A

14-16 September

17-19 September

20 September

21-22 September

23 September (Sunday)

24-25 September:

26 September

26-27 September

28 September

28-30 September

Monday

Leave Heathrow at 2200 hours

Travel to the New Hebrides

Constitutional Conference in the New Hebrides (dates agreed with the French)

Travel from the New Hebrides to Singapore (arrive 2145 hours local time)

Visit to Singapore

Travel to Jakarta

Visit to Indonesia

Travel to Manila (arrive 1315 hours local time)

Visit to Philippines

Travel to Hong Kong (arrive 1315 hours local time)

Visit to Hong Kong

1 October

Arrive back in UK.

2.

This schedule is feasible but rushed. If the Secretary of State could agree to Mr Blaker returning to London on 3 October he would be able to spend a little more time in the Philippines (only a day and a half at present) and Hong Kong (weekend only at present).

3.

There are now separate plans to hold a South East Asia Heads of Mission Conference in Bangkok in January 1980 (the last such Conference was held in Kuala Lumpur in January 1976). Mr Blaker would hope to take the chair and combine this with visits to Thailand, Malaysia and Brunei. In the case of Brunei there would be advantage in a visit early in the New Year rather than the first week of October (Mr Malcolm MacDonald plans to visit Brunei in mid- September). In the case of Singapore it is hardly possible to return to the UK via South East Asia without passing through Singapore. Mr Blaker therefore hopes the Secretary of State would agree that he should make a brief visit there.

4.

Mr Blaker asked me to point out that the operationally essential New Hebrides visit is time-consuming. Thursday 13 September

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