TNAG-1304-FCO40-1660-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1984 — Page 228

GR 400

DESK BY 29120OZ FCO

FM PEKING 290945Z JUNE 84

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

SECRET

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1237 OF 29 JUNE

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

PERSONAL FRO CLIFT

TOP

HKK

027.21

RECEIVED pe its flat

2 9 JUN 1984

YOUR TELNO 670: FUTURE EGRET: SECRETARY OF STATE'S PROPOSED

VISIT TO CHINA

1. WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF A VISIT BY THE

SECRETARY OF STATE TO CHINA AT THE END OF JULY A GOOD DEAL

AMONG OURSELVES DURING THE PAST FEW DAYS. VIEWS HAVE DIFFERED ABOUT THE DESIRABILITY OF A VISIT. THERE WAS, HOWEVER, A CONSENSUS

THAT WHETHER IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO COME HERE WOULD DEPEND ON DECISION ABOUT THE STRATEGY WE MEAN TO ADOPT BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF SEPTEMBER.

2. 1 TAKE IT FROM YOUR TELEGRAM THAT A MORE OR LESS FIRM

DESISION HAS BEEN TAKEN THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHOULD COME HERE AT THE END OF JULY. ON THIS ASSUMPTION, MY VIEWS ON THE PLANNING ARE AS FOLLOWS:

(A) I DO NOT THINK THAT THE PROPENSITY OF THE CHINESE TO LISTEN TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE WOULD BE DIMINISHED BY HIS VISITING

HONG KONG FOR 24 HOURS BEFORE COMING TO PEKING.

(B) PROTOCOL MATTERS TO THE CHINESE. IT WOULD THEREFORE BE

BETTER FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO VISIT PEKING AT A TIME WHEN WU XUEQIAN WAS HERE. BESIDES, WU SEEMS TO BE AMONG THE MODERATES. AS FAR AS I KNOW, WU WILL BE IN CHINA UNTIL EARLY SEPTEMBER, WHEN HE WILL SET OFF ON A TOUR OF FOUR OR FIVE LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES (BEFORE GOING TO NEW YORK FOR THE OPENING OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY).

3. I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR ME TO APPROACH THE CHINESE ABOUT A VISIT BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE AFTER MY OWN RETURN FROM LONDON. THIS WOULD STILL GIVE THEM OVER TWO WEEKS' NOTICE AND WOULD SEEM MORE NATURAL TO THEM THAN AN APPROACH BEFORE MY VISIT TO LONDON. I DO NOT THINK THAT THE TIMING WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT EITHER WAY ON THE NEGOTIATIONS. WHATEVER WAS DECIDED, I WOULD BE APPROACHING THE CHINESE BEFORE THE NEXT ROUND.

4. I SHALL TELEGRAPH SEPARATELY ABOUT STRATEGY, IN THE OPEN SERIES.

I AM IN FAVOUR OF A VISIT BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE AT THE

END OF JULY AND I SHALL EXPLAIN WHY THERE.

EVANS

LIMITED

MD HKD

MD FED

SIR W HARDING

SECRET

COPIES TO SIR P CRADOCK MR. BURROWS,

LEGAL ADVISERS

See

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