TNAG-1159-FCO40-1439-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Hong-Kong--1982 — Page 37

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30 July 1982 2přiče

Dear John,

03 AUG 1982

DESK OFFICE INDEX

Prime Minister's Visit to the Far East

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I attach draft speeches for the Prime Minister's tour of the Far East. These have been cleared by the Department of Trade and (Japan and Hong Kong speeches) by the Department of Industry.

China

Speeches will be necessary at the welcoming banquet and return dinner in Peking and the welcoming banquest in Shanghai. The Chinese attach particular importance to these formal banquet speeches. They see them as setting the tone of the visit, and not occasions for drawing attention to areas of difference. The theme of the drafts therefore is the bilateral and international significance of good Anglo-Chinese relations. The normal practice is for a member of our Embassy to read a consecutive Chinese translation of the speech as it is delivered in English (this makes impromptu additions difficult). Some passages of the speech have been drafted more with a view to their impact in Chinese than in English. We think speeches on these lines should contribute to the achievement of the objectives that have been set out for the Prime Minister's visit.

The Prime Minister will probably wish to include a reference to the Guangdong nuclear project in the major speech on 22 September. We shall supply an appropriate passage when we have a better idea of progress in our discussions with the Chinese between now and then.

Japan

The Prime Minister's main speech in Tokyo is to the Japan Press Club on 21 September. The Embassy have advised that this should last around 20 minutes (ie around 40 minutes with interpretation).

The other two occasions at which the Prime Minister may be required to speak are Mr Suzuki's dinner on 20 September, and the Prime Minister's own dinner at the Embassy on 21 September. In both cases we are advised that speeches of not more than five minutes in length would be appropriate. The Embassy have proposed that these speeches should follow very closely the themes of the major speech to the Press Club. We suggest that the 20 September speech should concentrate on the political consultation theme (first section of the major speech), while the Prime Minister's dinner on 21 September would be the appropriate occasion on which to expand the trade and economic theme (second section). If this is agreed we can prepare precise language with the Treasury and Department of