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Dear Cathy,
HKK
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
0103
ISTRY
- 3 NOV 1936
London SW1A 2AH
JISTRY
in Taken
14 October 1986
16x16/60 Schafer 19/0
ANTLY Cor 15%.
Inauguration of Ningbo University, China:
26 November 1986
Sir Y K Pao, the Hong Kong shipping and banking magnate with influential contacts in Peking, and also instigator and benefactor of the recently introduced Sino-British Friendship Scholarship Scheme, has donated a university to his native town of Ningbo in south east China.
I enclose a copy of my letter of 13 October to No 10, which transmitted a letter from Sir Y K Pao to the Prime Minister, asking her to nominate a representative of the British Government to attend the inauguration on 26 November. Sir Y K raised this again when he called on the Prime Minister later on 13 October to discuss a commercial project in Ningbo with which he is closely connected. The Prime Minister said she thought it would be a good idea to send a British representative and that she would nominate one of her Ministerial colleagues. She suggested that Mr Walden, as Minister with responsibility for universities and as a Chinese speaker, would be an ideal choice.
We understand that Mr Walden might be able to rearrange various commitments in order to make a very brief trip to Ningbo for the inauguration. We hope that it will prove possible for Mr Walden to undertake this visit. His attendance would not only signal our continuing gratitude to Sir Y K for his contributions to Sino-British relations, but would allow Mr Walden to meet Chinese Vice Premier Wan Li who is likely to attend the inauguration. Such a meeting may well offer the opportunity for discussion of further ways to strengthen bilateral links, particularly in the educational field. It would be ideal if Mr Walden were also able to stop over briefly in Peking for long enough to allow a call on the State Education Commission.
/Please
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