TNAG-1299-FCO40-1655-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1984 — Page 238

SECRET

FRO PLE10 1111407 APK 84

TANEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 711

UF 11//64

TIFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

HICK 027/2

LEVEL

ISTRY

16 APR 1984

INDEX

? NIR

IPT: SECRETARY OF STATE 'S VISIT:

PRESS ARRANGEMENTO

1. FOLLOWING IS SUGGESTED DRAFT FOR JOINT STATEMENT:-

226

AT THE INVITATION OF STATE COUNCILLOR WU XUEQIAN, THE DRITISH FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SICRETARY, SIK GEOFFREY HOWE, VISITED

CHINA FROM 15 TO 18 APRIL. THE TWO FOREIGN MINISTERS HAD FRIENDLY AND WIDE-RANING DISCUSSIONS ON INTERNATIONAL ISSUES. THEY

ALSO DISCUSSED BILATERAL ISSUES. THEY AGREED THAT THE RELATIONS

DETWEEN THEIR TWO COUNTRIES WERE VERY GOOD AND LOOKED FORWARD

TO THE IR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.

2. DURING HIS VISIT SIR GEOFFREY HOWE ALSO HAD FRIENDLY

DISCUSSIONS WITH (LIST OF LEADERS)

3. DURING THESE MEETINGS THE TWO SIDES REVIEWED THE

COURSE OF THE TALKS BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS ON THE FUTURE

OF HONG KONG. THEY AGREED THAT THESE TALKS HAD

MADE VALUABLE PROGRESS AND THAT THEY WOULD CONTINUE FOLLOWING

THE VISIT.

4. SIR GEOFFREY HOWE EXPRESSED HIS APPRECIATION FOR THE

WELCOME EXTENDED TO HIM BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND

INVITED STATE COUNCILLOR WU XUEQIAN TO VISIT THE UNITED KINGDOM.

MR WU ACCEPTED THIS INVITATION WITH PLEASURE. IT WAS AGREED

THAT THE DATES FOR HIS VISIT SHOULD BE DECIDED THROUGH

DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS.