TNAG-1342-FCO40-17722-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Beijing-fo-1984 — Page 63

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FM HONG KONG 160530Z DEC 84

TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1432 OF 16 DECEMBER

AND TO IMMEDIATE F CO

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YOUR TELNO 507 AND MY TELNO 1431: PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT: HONG KONG ATTENDANCE.

1. NCNA HAVE NOW GIVEN US A FINAL LIST OF 101 PERSONS WHO HAVE ACCEPTED THE INVITATION TO ATTEND. THE TWENTY OR SO REFUSALS DO NOT (NOT) ADVERSELY AFFECT THE BALANCE BETWEEN THE CHINESE NOMINEES AND OURS.

2. THE LIST WILL BE PUBLISHED AT 1600 LOCAL TIME TODAY, SUBJECT TO FINAL CHECKING OF THE ENGLISH/CANTONESE NAMES BEING COMPLETED BY THEN. TEXT OF ANNOUNCEMENTS AGREED WITH NCNA IS IN MIFT. ALTHOUGH THE ENGLISH IS EVIDENTLY A TRANSLATION OF THE CHINESE ORIGINAL, IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE: THE PRESS ARE BEGINNING TO ASK WHETHER THERE HAS BEEN SOME POLITICAL DIFFICULTY OVER THE LIST.

3. WE HAVE AGREED WITH NCNA THAT THE LIST SHOULD BE IN ORDER

OF THE NUMBER OF STROKES IN THE CHARACTER FOR EACH PERSONS SURNAME, SINCE A LIST IN PROTOCOL ORDER WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO AGREE. GIS WILL POINT OUT TO THE PRESS WHICH UMELCO MEMBERS AND WHICH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ARE ON THE LIST.

4. SEE MIFT.

5. RESIDENT CLERK PLEASE INFORM GALSWORTHY (HEAD OF HKD)

YOUDE

LIMITED

FED

HKD

PROTOCOL D

NEWS D

PLANNING STAFF

PS

PS/MR LUCE

PS/PUS

SIR W HARDING

MR WILSON

COPIES TO:

PS/NO 10 DOWNING STREET

SIR P CRADOCK ROOM K195

SIR P CRADOCK,

NO 10 DOWNING STREET

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