TNAG-1297-FCO40-1652-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1984 — Page 36

1

CONFIDENTIAL

129)

See (139

НСБ

Private Secretary W

INDE

No

027/2

REGISTRY

29 MAR 1984

IK GENIC S

вес

FROM: R D CLIFT, HKD DATE: 27 March 1984

SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO HONG KONG

PROBLEM

cc: Sir P Cradock

Mr Goulden, News Dept Dr Wilson

Mr Burrows, Legal

Mr Thomson, FED

Hong Kong have proposed a draft outline programme for the Secretary of State's visit.

1.

RECOMMENDATION

2.

I recommend that a reply be sent on the lines of the two attached draft telegrams.

BACKGROUND AND ARGUMENT

3.

The programme proposed by Hong Kong is exactly the same, apart from the change of dates, as the one that I submitted on 23 February when we were planning that the Secretary of State would visit Hong Kong from 27-29 April. The Governor has in addition suggested that he might fit in a reception for members of the business community on either 18 or 19 April. It would be useful for the Secretary of State to have an opportunity to listen to the views of this influential sector so long as this did not crowd out more important meetings. I suggest also that the Secretary of State should, if possible, make a brief call on the British Trade Commission to meet the staff there. This would be a normal part of a Ministerial visit to Hong Kong: it would give encouragement to the staff and to British businessmen in the territory.

4.

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CONFIDENTIAL

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