CON IDENTIAL
5. ZHOU SAID HE HAD EARLIER TOLD ME THAT THERE WOULD BE NO PROBLEM ABOUT PLACING SIR S Y CHUNG AND MR LOBO IN THE FRONT ROW OF THE OBSERVERS. HOWEVER, HE DID NOT KNOW HOW MANY PLACED THERE WOULD BE IN THE FRONT ROW AND THEREFORE WHETHER IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR THE OTHER MEMBERS OF EXCO ALSO TO BE PLACED THERE. HE WOULD ASK PROTOCOL DEPARTMENT TO CONSIDER THIS AND THE POINT I HAD MADE ABOUT MEMBERS OF LEGCO.
6. SAID THAT THE SIGNATURE CEREMONY WOULD BE WATCHED BY A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON TV IN HONG KONG. MEMBERS OF UMELCO MUST BE, AND SEEN TO BE, PLACED APPROPRIATELY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR STATUS.
I ADDED THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO RECEIVE THE FINAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CEREMONY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SO THAT THE PRIME MINISTER COULD BE BRIEFED. ZHOU SAID THAT NOT ALL DETAILS WOULD BE AVAILABLE TODAY. WE WOULD BE INFORMED OF FINAL DETAILS AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE
OPPORTUNITY.
7. ZHOU SAID THAT CHINESE LEADERS ATTACHED GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THE SIGNATURE CEREMONY AND TO THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT. THEY WANTED ALL ARRANGEMENTS TO BE SATISFACTORY TO BOTH SIDES. ZHOU WOULD WELCOME ANY COMMENTS WE MIGHT HAVE AFTER WE HAD HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY THE FINAL PROGRAMME. THE ARRANGEMENTS MUST SATISFY ALL INVOLVED.
HEARTILY AGREED.
SAID THAT
EVANS
LIMITED
HKD FED PROTOCOL D
MR WILSON
COPIES TO:
SIR
P
CRADORIC (2)
-2-
COMIDENTIAL
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