TNAG-1299-FCO40-1655-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1984 — Page 237

1200

CONFIDENTIAL

VC10 LEAVES PEKING CAPITAL AIRPORT.

2. THE PROTOCOL DEPARTMENT STRESSED HEAVILY THAT THE MEETING

WITH DENG XIAOPING WAS ONLY PROVISIONAL AT THIS STAGE AND

THAT CHANGES MIGHT HAVE TO BE MADE.THEY WOULD NOT BE DRAWN ON

THE REASONS FOR THIS. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT IT IS BECAUSE

THEY WISH TO SEE HOW THE VISIT WILL GO BEFORE MAKING UP THEIR

MINDS. IT IS CLEARLY IMPORTANT THAT KNOWLEDGE OF THE POSSIBLE

CALL ON DENG XIAOPING SHOULD BE KEPT CLOSE AT THIS STAGE SO THAT

IF BY ANY CHANCE IT DID NOT TAKE PLACE IT WOULD NOT BE

IMMEDIATELY EVIDENT THAT IT HAD BEEN CANCELLED.

3. PROTOCOL DEPARTMENT ALSO SAID THAT ASSISTANT MINISTER ZHOU

NAN WISHED TO INVITE SIR PERCY CRADOCK TO A WORKING LUNCH

AT 1230 ON TUESDAY 17 APRIL. THEY SUGGESTED THAT THIS SHOULD BE KEPT

SMALL, PERHAPS WITH EITHER ONE OR TWO PARTICIPANTS ON

EACH SIDE. GRATEFUL TO KNOW WHO SIR PERCY WOULD WISH TO BE

PRESENT.

EVANS

LIMITED

FED

HKD NEWS D PROTOCOL D

LEGAL ADVISERS Ps

PS MR LUCE PSIPUS MR WILSON.

CONFIDENTIAL

(REPEATED AS REQUESTED)

COPIES TO

SUR P CRADOCK.