TNAG-1372-FCO40-1818-Ministerial-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 215

GRS 120

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 2095

OF 0805OOZ OCTOBER 35

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

144

MY TELNO 1972 : VISIT OF MR. RENTON : NCNA INVITATION.

1. THE DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG BRANCH OF THE NEW CHINA NEWS AGENCY AND MRS. XU JIATUN WILL BE ATTENDING MY DINNER FOR MR.

RENTON ON 29 OCTOBER.

2. IN ACCEPTING THIS INVITATION XU HAS IN TURN EXTENDED A DINNER INVITATION TO MR. RENTON SHOULD HE HAVE AN EVENING FREE. THE

GESTURE IS NOT WITHOUT INTEREST.

3. HOWEVER LEAVING ASIDE PROGRAMME PROBLEMS, IT WOULD BE QUITE INAPPROPRIATE FOR THE MINISTER OF STATE TO BE HOSTED BY NCNA IN HONG KONG. WE PROPOSE THEREFORE TO THAN MR XU BUT SAY THAT THE

PROGRAMME IS ALREADY FULL.

4. MR XU HAS ALSO ACCEPTED AN INVITATION TO THE RECEPTION FOLLOWING THE OPENING OF LEGCO, A GESTURE WHICH WILL BE INTERPRETED AS HAVING SOME POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE HERE.

YOUDE

LIMITED SEAD

HKD

PROTOCOL D PS/MR RENTON MR WILSON

HKK 02716

LIVED IN REGISTRY

-

· 8 OCT 1985

DESK OFFICE

INDEX

EGISTRY

Látuon Taken

CONFIDENTIAL

164)