TNAG-1158-FCO40-1438-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Hong-Kong--1982 — Page 155

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The Rt Hon Humphrey Atkins MP Lord Privy Seal

Foreign & Commonwealth Office Downing Street

London SW1A 2AL

National Bus Company

25 New Street Square London EC4A 3AP Telephone 01-583 9177 Telex 27442

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J7.3.82.

NATIONAL ➤

from The Rt Hon Lord Shepherd PC Chairman

26 February 1982

My Prathamkhay

I am writing to thank you very much indeed for agreeing to have lunch with me last Wednesday and for the opportunity of talking to you about the situation in Hong Kong.

In the course of our talk, I mentioned that some of my Hong Kong Chinese friends - who recognise the importance of the visit of the Prime Minister - had suggested that I should ascertain that, if the Prime Minister and the Government of the Peoples Republic of China were to agree, there was a high possibility that they could finance and then seek to arrange, for one of the United Kingdom Symphony Orchestras to perform in Beijing on a suitable day during the Prime Minister's visit.

I write to confirm that this is a sincere approach but clearly, before arrangements could be made and also appreciating how short is the time for staging such a venture, one would need to know whether the Prime Minister and the PRC would regard this as a friendly gesture and make a contribution to the undoubted good relations now existing betweek the UK and the PRC.

I shall be leaving for HK on 4 March and will be there until 12 March and if, in principle, it was considered a good idea I would seek a meeting of the Sponsors of this possible project with the Governor to ensure that there could be no question of embarrassment either to Hong Kong, the Prime Minister or the PRC.

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