TNAG-1158-FCO40-1438-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Hong-Kong--1982 — Page 118

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

HOFO 024/25

RR FCO

GR 260

95/09034

ник

02615

RESTRICTED

No

unclipto.v.

27

Top+2/ K124/ Hd- HICGD NO' DISTRIBUTION

۱۱۴ ستام

THIS TELEGRAM

WAS NOT

ADVANCED

FM BTC HONG KONG 250820Z MAR 82

TO ROUTINE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER BTC 34 OF 25 MARCH

FOR CLIFT, HONG KONG AND GENERAL DEPARTMENT

VISIT OF THE PRIME MINISTER

Overläke

by BTC 35

sehs

LORD KADOORIE IS PRESSING ME FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE PRIME (30 MINISTER'S VISIT IN SEPTEMBER GIVEN THAT SHE HAS FORMALLY ACCEPTED

HIS INVITATION TO OPEN THE CASTLE PEAK POWER STATION.

2. NOT HAVING SEEN TELEGRAMS ABOUT PLANNING FOR THE FAR EASTERN

TOUR, I HAVE TAKEN THE LINE THAT DATES HAVE NOT YET BEEN FINALISED AND WE DO NOT EVEN KNOW HOW LONG MRS THATCHER WILL BE ABLE TO SPEND

IN HONG KONG. HOWEVER KADOCRIE YESTERDAY TOLD ME THAT HE BELIEVES IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR HER TO DEVOTE A WHOLE DAY TO THE CASTLE PEAK

EVENT.

3. WHEN I STARTED TO SAY THAT IT WAS MOST UNLIKELY THAT THE PRIME MINISTER'S PROGRAMME WOULD PERMIT SUCH A LONG VISIT TO CLP, KADOORIE REACTED QUITE STRONGLY. HE THOUGHT IT IMPORTANT THAT THE PRIME MINISTER SHOULD EXTRACT A MAXIMUM PUBLICITY FOR THE LARGEST SINGLE MANUFACTURING ORDER EVER PLACED WITH A BRITISH MANUFACTURER IN HONG KONG, CHINA AND THE UK A DAY WAS ESSENTIAL. HE TALKED IN TERMS OF INVITING 400 PLUS PEOPLE AND ORGANISING SPECIAL FERRY SERVICES TO THE POWER STATION SITE.

4. I SHALL OBVOIOUSLY HAVE TO WORK BEHIND THE SCENES TO WATER DOWN THESE UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS BUT BEFORE I SPEAK TO PEOPLE SUCH AS SIDNEY GORDON AND BILL STONES IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO HAVE SOME IDEA OF THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF TIME WHICH THE PRIME MINISTER COULD AFFORD TO SPEND HERE. FOR EXAMPLE IF HER VISIT WAS AS SHORT AS 1 AND A HALF DAYS, I WOULD REPRESENT TO KADOORIE THE UNREASONABLENESS OF HIS REQUEST FOR TWO THIRDS OF HER TOTAL TIME. AT THE MOMENT I AM HAMPERED BY LACK OF ANY INFORMATION.

MARCH

NNNN

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