TNAG-1168-FCO40-1448-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 112

CONFIDENTIAL

HKIZ 040/1

Miss Moore (Information' Dept G53/G)

SPONSORED VISITORS FROM CHINA:" PROFESSOR XUE MOUHONG*

T

No

CGE

15/3

i_Pas 16/31

Reference

76

Bu & weer in Вы ( сосре Ви

by Mining "W/1673

I am

noted

PCM 4/3

Jul 312

1. I attach a copy of a letter from Mr Atkinson (Peking) to Mr Elliott. The 'personal' marking relates to the attach- ment rather than the letter itself.

2.

see/ 108

The Ambassador'invited Professor Xue to visit Britain on Category II terms on his way to the United States which he is due to visit in December. Professor Xue replied that he would prefer to visit Britain in September or October. (October would be best for meeting academics.) He would also like to visit Hong Kong on his way to Britain.

3. As you will see, the Ambassador urges that we should try to meet Professor Xue's wishes even though this will mean upgrading his visit to Category I. We support this recommend- ation. Professor Xue now seems even more important to our interests than before and he may well benefit from the current Chinese policy of promoting able middle-aged men in place of the aged and incompetent leaders who are being retired wholesale.

4.

You mentioned on the telephone that it would be unusual to give Category I treatment to someone whose COI-arranged visit would last only a week. I hope that this need not be a stumbling block. Would the British Council be able to split the cost of air-fares with us? Or could their programme be subsumed in the COI's?

5. We do not yet have a reaction from Hong Kong to Mr Atkinson's letter.

3 March 1982

cc: Mr Morris (HKGD K242)

Пох

}

N J Cox

Far Eastern Department K255

233.5539

CODE 18 77

CONFIDENTIAL