TNAG-1339-FCO40-1771-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Beijing-fo-1984 — Page 338

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 040/57

RECEIVED IN

5 DEC 1984

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GR 220

CONFIDENTIAL

F1 HONG KONG 040935Z DEC 24

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 3694 OF 4 DECEMBER

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

DESK OFFICEA INDEX

PA

REGISTRY

Action Taken

YOUR TELNO 2367: PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT: ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS

1. ALTHOUGH THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR HONG KONG ATTENDANCE AT THE SIGNING CEREMONY ARE NOT YET FINALISED, IT IS CLEAR THAT THERE WILL BE A LARGER NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO NEED TO RETURN TO HONG KONG AT THE SAME TIME. AS THE PRIME MINISTER THAN COULD BE ACCOMMODATED ON THE PRIME MINISTER'S PLANE.

WERE

2. THE SIMPLEST COURSE WOULD BE TO ENSURE THAT ALL HONG KONG PARTICIPANTS, WHETHER CHOSEN BY THE CHINESE OR CHOSEN BY US, GIVEN THE OPTION OF RETURNING TO HONG KONG FROM PEKING AT THE SAME TIME AS THE PRIME MINISTER. THE ONLY PRACTICAL WAY OF DOING THIS WOULD BE A SPECIAL FLIGHT. ALTHOUGH THERE WOULD BE OBVIOUS PRESENTATIONAL ADVANTAGES IN HAVING CATHAY PACIFIC ORGANISE THE SPECIAL FLIGHT, THIS WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE CHINESE. IN ANY CASE CPA ONLY HAVE WIDE-BODIED AIRCRAFT WHICH WOULD BE TOO LARGE. THE ANSWER WOULD THEREFORE APPEAR TO BE A SPECIAL CAAC FLIGHT, AND IT MIGHT BE ADVISABLE TO PUT THIS IDEA TO THE CHINESE THE NEXT TIME THE ARRANGEMENTS ARE DISCUSSED.

HADDON-CAVE

MINIMAL

HKD.

PROTOCOL.D.

CONFIDENTIAL