CONFIDENTIAL
The Chinese envisage that substantive speeches, covering the whole range of bilateral relations, will be made by the two Prime Ministers at the banquet. In addition we consider it important that at the signature ceremony, which will be covered by the international media, short speeches should be made on the significance of the Hong Kong agreement. The Governor attaches particular weight to this, which would in his view have a positive impact in Hong Kong. He believes that the absence of any speeches would make the occasion appear flat. The Chinese are also ready to agree. In these circum- stances we very much hope that the Prime Minister can agree to make two speeches: neither need be long.
You wrote to me about a meeting for the Prime Minister with British correspondents in Peking. We shall ensure that arrange- ments are made for this (perhaps after the banquet).
Participation in the Signature Ceremony
Participation at the signature ceremony will involve three categories of person:
(i) Officials: In addition to the London party we propose
that the Governor and his Political Adviser should be part of the UK delegation. The Governor has also argued strongly for the participation in the official delegation at the signature ceremony of certain Hong Kong officials, including those who took part in the negotiations at working level in Peking. He expects that the Chinese will arrange for all those officials who took part on their side to be present, and that it would be appropriate for their Hong Kong counter- parts to be there. We hope that the Prime Minister can agree to what the Governor proposes: it would of course be on the understanding that these other Hong Kong participants would play no part in the Prime Minister's official talks, although they would probably be invited to the banquets.
Unofficial Members of EXCO and LEGCO: The Governor has reported that the unofficials attach importance to being represented at the signature ceremony. We believe this would be entirely appropriate. The Chinese would be likely to resist any attempt on part to make the unofficials part of the Prime Minister's delegation, and this would not be our intention: but we believe the Chinese would be ready to allow the unofficials to witness the ceremony, to identify them as such and to give them a status there appropriate to their position in Hong Kong. In view of the Prime Minister's views recorded in your letter to me of November, we have set this in hand.
(ii)
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CONFIDENTIAL
/(iii)
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