CONFIDENTIAL
Su
Private Secretary
© Secretary
Enter
HKK 027/2
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
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- 8 MAR 1984
наз
Sigots of Stak
FROM: H B WARREN-GASH
DATE: 5 March 1984
Cc:
Sir P Cradock PS/PUS
Dr Wilson
Mr Clift, HKD
Mr Thomson, FED
Mr Burrows, Legal Advisers Miss Neville-Jones,
Planning Staff
VISIT BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO PEKING AND HONG KONG
Si
1. Mr Luce has seen the attached submission by Mr Clift on this subject, together with Sir P Cradock's minute. He strongly supports the recommendation.
2. Mr Luce is very much aware of, and sympathetic to, the dilemma this poses in view of the other pressures on the Secretary of State's time. He considered at an office meeting on Hong Kong this morning whether there were alter- native dates that could be suggested. But it is clear that there are none. In view of the absolute priority which must attach to the talks on Hong Kong's future at the moment, Mr Luce is therefore driven to agree that a visit to Peking and Hong Kong in the week beginning 15 April is the right
answer.
3. On the basis of his own experience, Mr Luce would advise against attempting to split the Far East tour into two. Returning to Britain only to go out again a couple of days later would be altogether too tiring. He therefore agrees with Sir P Cradock that it would be less exhausting to join the two and spend Easter in the region.
4. Mr Luce has asked me to point out that he has no travel plans over the relevant period and would therefore be available in London to take any necessary decisions within his own. areas of Ministerial responsibility.
5.
There remains the important problem of how to handle Parliament if, as is currently envisaged, the Secretary of State were to make an important statement on the future while he was in Hong Kong. Mr Luce suggests that it might now be sensible to sound out the Leader of the House and the Chief Whip about the way Parliament is likely to react. If they will wear a statement in Hong Kong coming before a report to the House, then Mr Luce believes that we should aim for a statement on
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