TNAG-1169-FCO40-1449-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 66

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177

PS/LPS

Pasidy

Cc: Mr Donald

Mr Clift, HEGD

Mr. McQuad Mr. Mares 514

VISIT TO CHINA BY BRITISH PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION

1.

Mr Du Cann called on the LPS on 3 March and may seek another meeting to give him an account of the visit.

2*

The Embassy in Peking have reported that the visit at least to Peking, where the Embassy were involved - went well. The Chinese gave the delegation excellent treatment (a State guest-house in Peking) and received them at a high level. Their host was Peng Chong, member of the Politburo and Central Secretariat and a Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress; he was formerly Mayor of Shanghai. They also saw Vice-Premier Yao Yilin, a key figure particularly in economic policy decisions. There was little substance to their meetings with Peng, but Mr Du Cann used the meeting with Yao to urge China to buy more British exports and to begin early talks with Britain on the future of Hong Kong. The.Chinese press described the meeting as 'lively', presumably because the MPs asked a series of, by Chinese standards, fairly pointed questions. Yao for his part said nothing new (record attached).

3.

The Chinese press gave good coverage to the visit, which it represented as the first official visit from both Houses of Parliament since Sino-British relations were raised to Ambassadorial level in 1972. The British press were less excited.

4.

And

The Embassy worked hard before and during the visit to help it succeed. The delegation seemed to be appreciative, particularly of a briefing luncheon given by HM Ambassador. But they may have had exaggerated expectations of the contribution they could make to Sino-British relations. Mr Adley seems to have been aggrieved by Chinese placement; on the advice of the IUP British Group office we informally suggested to the Chinese that he might be ranked after the Leader (Mr Du Cann), Deputy Leader of the group (Mr Bottomley), Mr Willey (a Privy Councillor) and Mr Whitney. (In strict protocol terms it would have been right to put him down after Lords Gisborough and Oram).

5.

Mr Whitney was in touch with us shortly after the return of the delegation. With his longer experience of China he was less inclined than some of his colleagues to excitement about what they had seen or experienced or what the visit was likely to have achieved. He described the reactions of some of the MPs as 'starry-eyed'.

6.

This was certainly the impression they gave at a

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report