TNAG-1339-FCO40-1771-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Beijing-fo-1984 — Page 134

CONFIDENTIAL

6. AS REGARDS MORE DETAILED ARRANGEMENTS, JI SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE CHARTER FLIGHT WOULD LEAVE HONG KONG AT 1000 ON 18 DECEMBER, AND DEPART FROM PEKING ON THE RETURN JOURNEY AT 0910 ON 20 DECEMBER. POLITICAL ADVISER SAID THAT WE HAD RECEIVED AN APPLICATION FOR A CHARTER FLIGHT LEAVING AT 1430 ON 18 DECEMBER. THIS TIMING, OR SOMETHING LIKE IT, WOULD BE MUCH MORE CONVENIENT SINCE THERE WOULD BE A MEETING OF EXCO THAT MORNING WHICH A NUMBER OF THOSE GOING TO PEKING WOULD NEED TO ATTEND. JI SAID HE WOULD LOOK INTO THE MATTER. HE LATER TOLD MCLAREN THAT JI PENGFEI WOULD BE GIVING A BANQUET FOR THE VISITORS ON THE EVENING OF 18 DECEMBER AND ASKED WHETHER THE EXCO MEMBERS COULD TRAVEL SEPARATELY BY A COMMERCIAL FLIGHT AFTER THE MAIN BODY OF THE GROUP. MCLAREN SAID IT WOULD BE BEST IF ALL COULD TRAVEL TOGETHER: IF THE CHARTER LEFT AT 1300 THE GROUP WOULD STILL ARRIVE IN TIME FOR THE BANQUET.

7. I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF PEKING WOULD REINFORCE THIS LAST POINT. THERE ARE IMPORTANT ITEMS OF BUSINESS TO BE DEALT WITH ON 18 DECEMBER, AND SIR S.Y. CHUNG AND THE OTHER EXCO UNOFFICIALS IN THE GROUP SHOULD BE THERE IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.

YOUDE

LIMITED

HKD

FED

PROTOCOL. D

MR WILSON

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CONTICENTIAL

[REPEALED AS REQUESTED}

COPIES TO".

SIR P CRADOCK (2).