TNAG-1338-FCO40-1770-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Beijing-fo-1984 — Page 289

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B) THUS IF WE STICK TO THE DECEMBER/JANUARY OPTION, UNCERTAINTY

WILL CONTINUE IN THE WEEKS AHEAD. NOTICE OF THE VISIT COULD

WHEN IT COMES BE VERY SHORT. WE COULD IF WE TOOK CHANCES

FACE THE POSSIBILITY OF A FURTHER LAST MINUTE CANCELLATION.

PLANNING WOULD BE HURRIED. WE COULD WELL FIND THAT HOST

GOVERNMENTS HAD MADE OTHER COMMITMENTS.

C) A VISIT BY THE PRIME MINISTER TO PEKING TO SIGN THE HONG

KONG AGREEMENT, THOUGH STILL NOT AQREED AND NOT DISCUSS-

ABLE OUTSIDE THIS CORRESPONDENCE, WOULD NECESSARILY HAVE

FIRST PRIORITY. PEKING WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY BE THE

FIRST STOP. TIME WOULD SURELY BE SPENT IN HONG KONG AS

WELL. YOUR OWN AND DAVID GILLMORE'S ARGUMENTS ON THE

DISADVANTAGES OF LINKAGE ARE WELL TAKEN. BUT NO 10

WOULD FIND IT VERY DIFFICULT TO RECOMMEND TWO SEPARATE

VISITS TO THE AREA IN THE SAME PERIOD. AND IF LINKAGE

WERE MAINTAINED THERE WOULD INEVITABLY HAVE TO BE

SERIOUS TRUNCATION OF THE SOUTH EAST ASIAN LEG.

THERE ARE IN ANY CASE DIFFICULTIES NOW FOR YOU WITH

JANUARY (JAKARTA TEL NO 351).

D)

E)

PRESIDENT JAYEWARDENE HAS MEANWHILE SUGGESTED THAT

MRS THATCHER VISIT SRI LANKA EARLY NEXT YEAR TO

OPEN THE VICTORIA DAM. TACKING THIS ON TO A VISIT

TO PEKING WHILE EXCLUDING THE SOUTH EAST ASIAN LEG WOULD

FIND SOME FAVOUR AT OFFICIAL LEVEL HERE, PROVIDING IT

COULD BE PRESENTED IN A WAY THAT IT DID NOT CAUSE OFFENCE

TO THE MALAYSIANS AND INDONESIANS. IT WOULD CLEAR THE DECKS

FOR A SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED SOUTH EAST ASIAN VISIT LATER.

EASTER 1985. NO 10 HAVE TOLD BILL HARDING THEY DO NOT THINK

THAT A VISIT OVER THE EASTER RECESS WOULD BE POSSIBLE SINCE THE

PRIME MINISTER COULD ONLY GET AWAY FOR FOUR OR FIVE DAYS EITHER

SIDE OF EASTER WHICH SHE NORMALLY SPENDS IN BRITIAN.

6. SUMMER/AUTUMN 1985. A DATE AT THE END OF THE THIRD RECESS

(SEPTEMBER) MAY THEREFORE PROVE THE LEAST BAD ALTERNATIVE.

ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR ARE BECOMING STRONGER AS TIME PASSES.

A) THERE WOULD, WE RECKON, BE A FAIR CHANCE OF GETTING NO 10

TO GIVE A QUICK RULING NOW ON A VISIT THEN (NOTWITHSTAND-

THE

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