TNAG-1297-FCO40-1652-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1984 — Page 288

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Mr Clarke, News Dept (W21)

VISIT BY SIR G HOWE TO FAR EAST

Reference

FE 02771

JKK 27/2

VisTy

ا جملات

12

USTRY

Action Taken

I hes

FCO telno 51 records Sir G Howe's agreement to a visit to the Far East in the week after Easter. Both Protocol

1.

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Department and HKD agree that it would be desirable for a See (47)

press party to be taken on the VC10 with the Secretary of State. Although the notion of this junket will no doubt be generally attractive to journalists, there is likely to be considerable interest in the possible Hong Kong (and Peking legs of this trip. I should be grateful if you could put in hand whatever arrangements must be made for such a press party.

2. In view of the likelihood that the news of Sir G Howe's trip will leak soon in Tokyo or Seoul, I think it advisable that we have a press line prepared and cleared with posts for use if necessary. I will put arrangements in hand. HKD would prefer an announcement to be delayed until after Mr Luce has visited Hong Kong, but this will have to depend on restraint in Seoul or Tokyo.

10 February 1984

CC:

Mr Hoare, HKD

Miss Waghorn, Protocl Dept Private Secretary

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M D Uden

Far Eastern Department