296
CONFIDENTIAL TOP COPY
GPS260
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 11103OZ
DESKBY PEKING 12003OZ
FM HONG KONG 11100OZ DEC 84
299
HKK 040/57
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
1 1 DEC 1984
OFFICER
PA
|AL
REGUIRY
Action Taken
80
17/2
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 3768 OF 11 DECEMBER
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
279
MY TELSNOS 1397 AND 1403 TO PEKING: PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT: HONG KONG ATTENDANCE.
1
1. XIAO JINZHE OF NCNA TELEPHONED THE DEPUTY POLITICAL ADVISER THIS AFTERNOON TO SAY THAT NCNA HAD BEEN CONTACTING SOME OF THOSE SELECTED TO ATTEND THE SIGNING CEREMONY IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH WHETHER THEY WERE FREE TO GO. NCNA HAD BEEN SURPRISED'' TO HEAR FROM SOME OF THEM THAT THEY HAD ''ALREADY BEEN INVITED' BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. XIAO SAID THAT IT WAS HIS UNDERSTANDING THAT, WHILST THE ATTENDANCE WAS A MATTER FOR DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS, IT HAD BEEN AGREED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE, AS HOSTS, WOULD ISSUE THE INVITATIONS.
2. MARGOLIS REPLIED THAT THE ONLY ACTION TAKEN BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN TO ESTABLISH THE LIST OF UMELCO MEMBERS WHO WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO ATTEND. WE HAD NOT ISSUED INVITATIONS TO ANYBODY, AND HAD NOT DISCUSSED THE MATTER WITH ANY OF THE CANDIDATES FOR ATTENDANCE OTHER THAN UMELCO MEMBERS. INDEED, WE HAD BEEN RATHER SURPRISED TO HEAR FROM SOME OF THOSE CONCERNED THAT NONA HAD BEGUN TO ISSUE INVITATIONS WHILE THE MATTER WAS STILL UNDER DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES. XIAO SAID THAT NCNA HAD ONLY BEEN SEEKING TO ESTABLISH IN PRINCIPLE WHETHER PEOPLE WOULD BE ABLE TO CO. HE AGREED THAT IT MIGHT BE ADVISABLE TO SUSPEND FURTHER ACTION UNTIL THE OUTCOME OF TODAY'S DISCUSSIONS IN PEKING WAS KNOWN.
HADDON-CAVE
LIMITED
HKD
FED
PROTOCOL. D
SIR P CRADOCK.
MR WILSON, CONFIDENTIAL
REPEATED AS REQUESTED
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