TNAG-1339-FCO40-1771-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Beijing-fo-1984 — Page 133

GR 500

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY FCO 1309OOZ

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CONFIDENTIAL TOP COPY

DESKBY PEKING 1308DOZ

FM HONG KONG 13070OZ DEC 84

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

HUK 040/57

RECEIVED IN R

13 DEC 1984

$79.

TELEGRAM NUMBER 3774 OF 13 DECEMBER

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

-N.T

DESK OFFICEN

INDEX

PA

W

PEKING TELNOS 2950 AND 1961: PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT: HONG KONG ATTENDANCE

ACTION akon

1. POLITICAL ADVISER SPOKE TO JI SHAOXIANG (NCNA) THIS MORNING IN DEPUTY DIRECTOR LI CHUWEN'S ABSENCE IN SHENZHEN. JI AGREED THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO AVOID CONFUSION OVER ATTENDANCE BY HONG KONG OBSERVERS AT THE SIGNATURE CEREMONY AND THAT NONA SHOULD KEEP IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH US TO THAT END.

2. JI UNDERTOOK TO PROVIDE A COMPLETE INVITATION LIST AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. HE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE THIS AFTERNOON.

3. HE CONFIRMED THAT NONA HAD BEGUN TO ISSUE INVITATIONS TWO DAYS AGO. THIS HAD BEEN DONE ON RECEIPT OF A TELEGRAM FROM PEKING SAYING THAT THE LIST WAS AGREED AND THAT NCNA SHOULD NOW ISSUE THE INVITATIONS. POLITICAL ADVISER SAID THAT IN FACT DISCUSSIONS IN PEKING HAD NOT BEEN COMPLETED AT THAT TIME.

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4. JI ALSO CONFIRMED THAT SOME INVITATIONS TO UNOFFICIALS, INCLUDING T.S. LO AND DR IP HAD ALREADY BEEN ISSUED. MR LO HAD DECLINED WHILE DR IP HAD ACCEPTED (DR IP HAS TOLD US THAT SHE WAS APPROACHED IN HER CAPACITY AS CHAIRMAN OF THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION FOR THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED AND HAD ACCEPTED IN THAT CAPACITY). JI UNDERTOOK TO ENSURE THAT INVITATIONS FOR THOSE UMELCO MEMBERS TO WHOM CARDS HAD NOT ALREADY BEEN SENT AND FOR OFFICIALS WOULD BE TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE POLITICAL ADVISER'S OFFICE. (HE SUBSEQUENTLY TOLD MCLAREN, HAVING CHECKED, THAT INVITATIONS FOR ALL UMELCO MEMBERS INVOLVED HAD ALREADY BEEN ISSUED. WE WILL SEEK TO ENSURE THAT THE REPLIES ARE TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE POLITICAL ADVISER'S OFFICE).

5. JI ACCEPTED THAT THERE WOULD BE ADVANTAGE IN COORDINATING THE TIMING AND CONTENT OF AN ANNOUNCEMENT WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. HE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE ANOTHER DAY OR SO BEFORE NONA WERE READY SINCE IT WAS STILL NOT CLEAR HOW MANY OF THOSE INVITED WOULD ACCEPT. THE IMPLICATION WAS THAT ONLY THE NAMES OF THOSE GOING TO PEKING WOULD BE PUBLISHED.

CONFIDENTIAL

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