TNAG-1338-FCO40-1770-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Beijing-fo-1984 — Page 76

CONFIDENTIAL

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1441 OF 23 NOVEMBER

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG DESKBY 24010OZ

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HKK

040/57.

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

2 6 NOV 1984

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YOUR TELNO 2821: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT:

ANNOUNCEMENT

1. WE ARE THINKING IN TERMS OF AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE FOLLOWING

LINES:

'AT THE INVITATION OF PREMIER ZHAO ZIYANG THE PRIME MINISTER WILL

VISIT PEKING BETWEEN 18 AND 20 DECEMBER. SHE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED

BY THE FOREIGN SECRETARY. THE MAIN PURPOSE OF HER VISIT, SUBJECT TO THE OUTCOME OF THE DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT, WILL BE TO SIGN THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS ON THE

FUTURE OF HONG KONG. MRS THATCHER WILL ALSO HOLD TALKS WITH

CHINESE LEADERS.

THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE FOREIGN SECRETARY WILL THEN VISIT HONG

KONG ON 20 AND 21 DECEMBER. SHE WILL HOLD DISCUSSIONS WITH THE

GOVERNOR, ADDRESS A JOINT MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE AND

LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS AND MEET MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG

COMMUNITY',

2.

PROVIDED THAT YOU AND THE GOVERNOR ARE CONTENT WITH THE TEXT

YOU SHOULD PASS IT TO THE CHINESE MFA. YOU SHOULD SAY THAT WE

ARE LIKELY TO ANNOUNCE THE VISIT TO WASHINGTON AT THE SAME TIME.

TIMING IS TO SOME EXTENT DEPENDENT ON AGREEMENT WITH THE AMERICANS, BUT WE ARE AIMING AT WEDNESDAY 28 NOVEMBER, AS SUGGESTED BY THE CHINESE. WE HOPE TO CONFIRM THIS AND THE TEXT

EARLY NEXT WEEK.

3. WE HAVE JUST SEEN HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 3589. WE SUGGEST

THAT HONG KONG MIGHT DISCREETLY TAKE THE LINE THAT IT WOULD

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