TNAG-1159-FCO40-1439-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Hong-Kong--1982 — Page 23

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

134

FED

GRS 375

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 060947Z AUG 82

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 856 OF #6 AUG

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

FOLLOWING FOR CLIFT H K G D

FROM GOVERNOR

026/12€

ните очь

YOUR TEL NO 600: PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT

اما

Z

026/17

нин

MKK

ого

020!17

ніки

огы

AS AGREED I TOLD UMELCO THIS MORNING THAT I HAD

CONVEYED TO LONDON THE OBSERVATIONS THEY HAD MADE TO ME

ر کنا

ta

ON DEPARTURE AND HAD HAD A FULL DISCUSSION. I ALSO TOLD THEM OF THE PLAN THAT I SHOULD VISIT LONDON IN SEPTEMBER ACCOMPANIED

BY SOME UNOFFICIALS, EMPHASISISING THE NEED TO KEEP THIS CONFIDENTIAL UNTIL NEARER THE TIME. THEY RECEIVED THIS VERY

WARMLY.

2. UMPROMPTED THEY WENT ON TO EXPRESS THEIR HOPE THAT I WOULD BE INCLUDED AS A MEMBER OF THE PRIME MINISTER'S PARTY DURING HER VISIT TO PEKING TO DISCUSS THE FUTURE. THEY THOUGHT THIS ESSENTIAL IN ORDER TO GIVE CONFIDENCE TO THE PUBLIC

IN HONG KONG THAT THEIR VIEWS WOULD BE REPRESENTED AUTHORITATIVELY

IN THE ADVICE AVAILABLE TO THE PRIME MINISTER IN PEKING.

3. I UNDERTOOK TO CONVEY THIS TO LONDON AND IN THE LIGHT OF IT MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD NOW BE THAT I SHOULD MYSELF JOIN THE P M'S PARTY FOR THE PEKING VISIT. I RECOGNISE THE ARGUMENT

AGAINST BUILDING UP EXPECTATIONS MORE THAN WE HAVE TO AND HAVE DONE MY BEST TO MODERATE THEM: BUT THE PLAIN FACT IS THAT THE SPOTLIGHT ON THE VISIT IS ALREADY SO INTENSE HERE THAT

MY PRESENCE IN PEKING COULD SCARCELY INTENSIFY IT: AND IN ANY CASE THE UNOFFICIALS FEEL STRONGLY ENOUGH ON THE ISSUE THAT THEY ASKED THE SENIO MEMBER TO WRITE TO ME IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE MEETING TO CONFIRM THEIR HOPE THAT I WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE PARTY FOR PEKING.

YOUDE

LIMITED HD HKIGO PS

PS | LORD BELSTEAD

Done 4/8

PS/PUS

MR DONALD

CONFIDENTIAL

See/1357

15

Pans 2+ 3 Action

о

Pm's visit

file.

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