TNAG-1160-FCO40-1440-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Hong-Kong--1982 — Page 87

RESTRICTED

T LETTER

FROM: JP WATSON, PEKING

FILE REF: 026/13

27 AUGUST 1982

FOLLOWING FOR: ID KYDD, PRESS OFFICE, 10 DOWNING STREET

COPIED TO: N J COX, FED, FCO

NEWS DEPARTMENT, FCO

NX

EKÓNG

BR JOHNSTON, GIS, HONG KONG

R MARGOLIS, APA, HONG KONG

Сс

M. Hell

Рась

c. R. Hoave, HKNGD.

Cc

налед

PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT: PRESS

1. I DISCUSSED PRESS ARRANGEMENTS AGAIN WITH FANG SONGZHUO ON 27

AUGUST AND GAVE HIM THE PROVISIONAL LIST OF THOSE TRAVELLING ON

THE VC-10.

2. FANG ASSURED ME THAT ALL BRITISH JOURNALISTS IN THE TRAVELLING PRESS PARTY, WHETHER THEY WERE ON THE VC-10 OR MAKE THEIR OWN WAY TO PEKING, WILL BE TREATED IN THE SAME WAY, AND THE CHINESE WILL

CATER FOR THEIR ACCOMMODATION, TRANSPORT, FLIGHTS FROM PEKING TO

SHANGHAI ETC. HE ACCEPTED THAT THE CHINESE SHOULD SETTLE ALL BILLS

DIRECTLY WITH THE JOURNALISTS.

3. FANG CONFIRMED THAT THE FLIGHT FROM PEKING TO SHANGHAI WOULD BE

ARRANGED BY THE CHINESE. THE CHARTER FLIGHT FARE WOULD BE THE SAME

AS THE COMMERCIAL FARE EG. YUAN 150. (MRS THATCHER AND THE OFFICIAL

PARTY WILL ALSO BE TRAVELLING THIS SECTOR ON CHINESE AIRCRAFT, AND

WILL REJOIN THE VC-10 AT SHANGHAI.)