TNAG-0845-FCO40-1055-Visits-of-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-officials-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 216

Minister

HACK 021/7.

19

B

37/ün

Mr Melb

разшив

VISIT TO SOUTH-EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC (9 SEPTEMBER

8 OCTOBER)

1. I attach for your consideration two draft alternative outline plans for this trip. Plan A involves visits to Indonesia and Singapore before the visit to the New Hebrides (we have agreed with the French that the visit to the New Hebrides will be between 17-19 September). If we leave on 9 September, the visits to both Indonesia and Singapore will be on the short side (effectively two days in each place).

2. Plan B allows more time in Indonesia and Singapore (only Indonesia would be visited before the New Hebrides), but rather less in Malaysia and Thailand (any visit to Chiang Mai would be a bit rushed). As far as the Philippines and Hong Kong are concerned there is not much to choose between Plan A and Plan B. difficulty in all this is that the dates for the New Hebrides visit are fixed and the time beforehand is more than sufficient for one visit but a little tight for two.

3. Both Plan A and Plan B are designed to allow a reasonable amount of time for travelling and to avoid presenting ourselves for business in Moslem countries (Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei) on Fridays. Saturday is a working day in most of the territories that we will be visiting.

4. If you agree with either Plan A or Plan B, or wish to suggest another plan, Mr Hamilton (in my absence on leave) can despatch the attached draft telegram.

The

27 July 1979

CC: Mr Cortazzi

Mr Murray

Mr Stratton

SEAD

HKGD.

SPD

Colin A. Munsi

CA

Munro