TNAG-1338-FCO40-1770-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Beijing-fo-1984 — Page 112

CONFIDENTIAL

(b) Taking a group of businessmen to Peking with

the Prime Minister will not cause contracts to

spring up where none existed before. In other countries it may work differently;

but my

experience in Peking was always that the only

way to do business with the Chinese was to pursue

individual contracts and wait until much

groundwork had been done before having the

Chairman out to conclude the deal. To have a

group of senior businessmen out without such

careful preparation would simply be a recipe

for frustration. It was tried during the visit

by Eric Varley as Secretary of State for Trade

and Industry in early 1979; no contracts were

landed, but there was much internal bickering on

our side afterwards.

3. This is of course not to suggest that the Prime Minister

should not push our commercial interests with Chinese leaders in

private. This could be followed up by business visits in the

New Year. There will be a further chance when Premier Zhao

visits Britain next year. But the focus and presentation of

the Prime Minister's visit in December needs careful handling and

we could get it badly wrong if we take businessmen along.

14 November 1984

Sency brackork бежу

Percy Cradock

Рейн

I have advised the benim ministre in the

mini scuse

cm میلا

CONFIDENTIAL