TNAG-1160-FCO40-1440-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Hong-Kong--1982 — Page 151

CONFIDENTIAL

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I have told Sir E Youde about the provisional bookings with the Prime Minister on 8 September and Lord Belstead and the Secretary of State on 7 September. So far as he knew, these provisional times looked satisfactory.

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2. On the Prime Minister's programme in Hong Kong, Sir E Youde 211 agreed that there would be no time to fit in a slot for her to visit the British Council. In any case the premises were not entirely suitable. He did not think in any case that the -British Council would take priority over one suggestion which he wished to put forward himself. He will be asking that the Prime Minister receives a delegation from the Urban Council for about 14 minutes or so. In the Governor's view this ought be to helpful in the context of 'consultation' of Hong Kong opinion.

3.

However the Governor will arrange to put the British Council representative on the list of invitees for the reception at Government House on Monday 27 September.

4.

We agreed that we would explain in the draft reply that there was no room in the programme for a British Council visit and mention the reception.

5. I drew Sir E Youde's attention to Hong Kong Telno 827 and the Governor said he would look into this. He thought it was very difficult to prevent Hong Kong journalists going to Peking, particularly as there were British journalists included in the party. I made the point that facilities ought to be offered to UK journalists in Hong Kong who were not already travelling with the Prime Minister. Sir E Youde said that he would discuss with his information people whether satisfactory 'pooling' arrangements could be made by agreement in Hong Kong beforehand so that only a small group of journalists went up from Hong Kong. He will telegraph further about this.

6. I explained to the Governor that Dr Owen was at present in the United States and would only be available in the UK between 19 and 24 August. We left it that we would submit to Ministers in the hope that one of the FCO Ministers, not excluding the Secretary of State, would have time to speak to Dr Owen sometime between 19 and 24 August. The points to make were that we would have to say that this was a private speaking engagement and there would not be top level government representation. (In fact the Governor will be sending representatives from the Home Affairs and Economic Affairs Departments). Secondly, there was a danger that the Chinese might be tempted to interpret what Dr Owen said as being a reflection of UK Government opinion. There was therefore a need for maximum sense of responsibility.

CONFIDENTIAL

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