HKK 040/57
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY CONFIDENTIA NOV 1984
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
en
17839 - 1
93
រ
PP PEKING
GRS 262
CONFIDENTIAL
FROM FCO 161545Z NOVEMBER 84
TO PRIORITY PEKING
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1417 OF 16 NOVEMBER
AND TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
FROM FED
PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT:GIFTS
Mr hottians?
19/11
1. ONCE THE PROGRAMME IS AGREED, GRATEFUL FOR ADVICE ON WHETHER MORE THAN 2 GIFTS ARE NEEDED (FROM THE PRIME MINISTER FOR DENG AND ZHAO). UNLESS YOU ADVISE OTHERWISE WE CONSIDER A LUNCH FROM PRESIDENT LI WOULD NOT REQUIRE ONE, AND THAT, WITHOUT
A SEPARATE MEETING, NONE IS NECESSARY FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE
TO WU.
2.
T
ANOTHER POSSIBLE GIFT IS A CLOCK. HOWEVER, THE PHRASE
TO PRESENT A CLOCK' (SONG ZHONG) SOUNDS IN MANDARIN THE SAME, WITH A DIFFERENT SECOND CHARACTER, AS THE PHRASE MEANING
'TO BURY A PARENT'. WE ARE NOT SURE THAT THIS IS A CONCLUSIVE
ARGUMENT AGAINST, BUT WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR COMMENTS (THE IMPACT IN CANTONESE AND IN HONG KONG MIGHT BE DIFFERENT).
3. IF THE GIFTS CHOSEN BY THE PRIME MINISTER COULD BE INSCRIBED
(EG SILVER CIGARETTE CASE A SUGGESTION MADE BY SIR Y K PAO
FOR DENG SILVER OR CRYSTAL BOWL OR DRINKING GOBLET), WOULD
YOU ADVISE THAT THIS BE DONE? IF SO, GRATEFUL FOR COMMENTS
ON THE FOLLOWING WORDING:
1 THIS RECORDS THE SIGNATURE IN PEKING ON 20 DECEMBER
1984 BY PRIME MINISTER MARGARET THATCHER AND PREMIER ZHAO
ZIYANG OF THE JOINT DECLARATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
AND CHINA ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG'.
THIS WOULD LOOK LESS CROWDED THAN THE FULL TITLE OF THE JOINT
DECLARATION (WHICH THE CHINESE MIGHT PREFER). WE HAVE A MARGINAL
PREFERENCE FOR 'PEKING' (STILL OUR USAGE) DESPITE THE FACT THAT 'BEIJING' IS USED IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEXT OF THE AGREEMENT.
WP
HOWE
DISTRIBUTION
LIMITED
FED
COPIES TO
SIR P CRADOCK
HKD
PROTOCOL D
PS
PS/MR LUCE
DR WILSON
CONFIDENTAL
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