TNAG-1032-FCO40-1282-Possible-visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-H-1981 — Page 16

?|

H L Davies Esq FED

FCO

Dear Hugh

CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL

British Embassy PEKING

27 November 1981

Mr. McQuarte 2- DEC 1981 Mr. Willigaz

A 3th

THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO CHINA: SH

în Moni

14

te ) The Jamald

The Ellish

The Paul,

Scopingly

response

, এক

K PAO

bullsh

1.

Many thanks for your letter of 12 November. We see no reason why the Chinese would object to a proposal that the Prime Minister should be sponsor at the launching or christening of a vessel being built for Sir Y K Pao in a Shanghai shipyard. The Chinese authorities would probably welcome such a proposal, since it would presumably provide good publicity for their shipyards.

2. Mrs Thatcher's presence would of course indirectly draw attention to our responsibility for Hong Kong, although in an apparently positive context. We shall be thinking hard in the coming weeks about the possible shape of a programme for Mrs Thatcher here, but as things stand we would seem to be rather hard pressed to find any other major symbols of Sino- British cooperation in China. Indeed, as we see things at present, Shanghai would seem probably the least undesirable place outside Peking to take Mrs Thatcher, partly because of its intrinsic importance, its relative liveliness, and its convenient geographical situation on the periphery!

cc R J T McLaren Esq

HONG KONG

Yours ever Michael

M W Atkinson

p.w

CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL