TNAG-1224-FCO40-1537-Visits-to-the-UK-by-official-and-unofficial-members-of-the-E-1983 — Page 74

Mr Donald

Pirate Secretar

cc: PS/Mr Luce

PS/PUS

Mr Giffard

Hd/FED

SECRET

MKKCOSE/5

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

29 JUN 1983

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

Mr Roberts, News Dept

REGISTRY

Action Taken

PA

ラ

ICH

FROM: W MORRIS HKD DATE: 22 June 1983

де

pe of 2716

We have dealt

VISIT BY UNOFFICIALS TO LONDON

(59)

58

mit shin

And 2416

1. In Hong Kong tel 835 the Governor reports his discussion on 21 June with the Unofficials on their proposed visit to London. They would like to arrive over the week 2/3 July and have meetings on 4 and 5 July. As indicated in tel 545, this would be acceptable to Ministers here. The Governor proposes to travel ahead of the party and have meetings with Ministers and Officials on his own on 1 July. The whole party would return together to Hong Kong on 6 July. Hong Kong tel 848 contains the Unofficials' preliminary views on their programme.

(61)

2. The Governor would now like to go firm on these dates and to make an early announcement.

3. Subject to whatever

emerges from the Secretary of State's meeting with the Prime Minister this afternoon we should like to give the Governor authority to go ahead with the visit and with an announcement. Hong Kong tel 848 contains Hong Kong's amended proposed announcement. This is a beefed-up version of the one in their tel 835.

4.

:61)

The amended version of the announcement contains the words 'at the invitation of Ministers' and specifies that the consultations on the future of Hong Kong.' I do not think we can object to the latter but I wonder whether the announcement might be slightly amended to read as follows:

5.

'As part of the continuing process of consultation on the future of Hong Kong, the Governor of Hong Kong, accompanied by the unofficial members of the Executive Council, will visit London during the week beginning 4 July. While in London they expect to call on the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs and the Minister responsible for Hong Kong in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Mr Richard Luce.'

I should be grateful if you would confirm that the Secretary of State and No 10 would be happy with this wording. We shall then telegraph Hong Kong so that arrangements for the visit and for the announcement can go ahead.

22 June 1983

SECRET

W Morris

Hong Kong Department