TNAG-1339-FCO40-1771-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Beijing-fo-1984 — Page 45

373

CONFIDENTIAL

3888

•HKK 040/57

CORY 17 DEC 1984

(426

1705-1

00 PEKING

GRS 136

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO 14174OZ DECEMBER 84

TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1560

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

368

HONG KONG TELNO 3790 AND YOUR TELNO 2990: PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT:

SIGNATURE CEREMONY

1. WE AGREE THAT YOU SHOULD POINT OUT TO THE CHINESE THAT WE

CANNOT BUMP UP OUR DELEGATION TO 30 IF WE ARE TO RESTRICT IT

ΤΟ PEOPLE IHE AGREED CATEGORIES.

2. IF THE CHINESE NEVERTHELESS PRESS US TO MAKE UP THE NUMBERS,

YOU SHOULD OFFER TO INCLUDE THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO

WILL BE ATTENDING THE CEREMONY AS OBSERVERS AND FURTHER SENIOR

MEMBERS OF THE EMBASSY STAFF. BUT IF, AS WE THINK LIKELY, THE

CHINESE RESIST INCLUSION OF ADDITIONAL HONG KONG GOVERNMENT

OFFICIALS YOU SHOULD REVERT TO OUR PRESENT POSITION. THE

DISCREPANCY OF NUMBERS IS NOT SO GREAT, AND IS EASILY

EXPLICABLE SINCE THE CHINESE WILL BE ON HOME GROUND.

HOWE

HONG KONG AGREEMENT

LIMITED

HD/HKD

HD/FED

HD/PLANNING STAFF

HD/PUSD

DEP HD/PUSD

RESEARCH DEPT (MR WALKER)

PS

PS/MR LUCE

PS/PUS

SIR W HARDING

i

MR WILSON

SIR J FREELAND

MR J CROWLEY, PUSD

COPIES TO:(VIA ADR)

MR ROBERTS, NEWS DEPT

MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS MR BURROWS, LEGAL ADVISERS

MR MARTIN, ASST STAFF CABINET

OFFICE

MR CARTLEDGE, CABINET OFFICE ER COLVIN, CABINET OFFICE

SIR P CRADOCK, NO 10 DOWNING ST SIR P CRADOCK, ROOM K195

CONFIDENTIAL

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