TNAG-1462-FCO40-1988-Visits-by-Chinese-officials-to-the-UK--including-visit-by-Hu-1986 — Page 119

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2 5 APR 1986

FROM FED

MIPT: VISIT BY HU YAOBANG: OBJECTIVES

1. HU'S VISIT WILL BE THE FIRST EVER BY A PURELY PARTY LEADER.

WE HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING HOW THIS SHOULD AFFECT OUR OBJECTIVES.

2. OUR PRELIMINARY INCLINATION AT DEPARTMENTAL LEVEL IS TO AIM

FOR A MORE PHILOSOPHICAL EMPHASIS THAN FOR PREMIER ZHAO'S VISIT.

THE FOCUS THEN, RIGHTLY, WAS ON PRACTICAL ASPECTS AND OPPORT-

UNITIES OF OUR RELATIONSHIP, PARTICULARLY IN TRADE AND TECH-

NOLOGY. TAKEN TOGETHER, HU'S POSITION, HIS PERSONALITY, LI'S

EDUCATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND THE CHINESE REQUEST FOR A STRONG

CULTURAL ELEMENT OPEN THE WAY FOR A DIFFERENT APPROACH.

3. ONE SPECIFIC POSSIBILITY IN WHICH WE SEE MERIT WOULD BE FOR

DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PRIME MINISTER TO INCLUDE THEORETICAL/IDEO-

LOGICAL ASPECTS OF BRITISH AND CHINESE POLITICS AND CULTURAL

OUTLOOKS. THIS WOULD NOT BE WITHOUT RISK IF HANDLED UNSYMPATH-

ETICALLY. BUT A CAREFUL EXPOSITION OF ENTERPRISE CULTURE,

HIGHLIGHTING PARALLELS AS WELL AS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BRITAIN AND

CHINA, MIGHT BE STIMULATING FOR HU, DRAW HIM OUT MORE THAN A LESS OPEN-ENDED EXCHANGE AND LEAVE A DEEPER, MORE POSITIVE

IMPRESSION OF BRITAIN.

4. EDUCATION WILL FIGURE PROMINENTLY IF THE SINO-BRITISH

SCHOLARSHIP FUND CAN BE FORMALLY LAUNCHED DURING THE VISIT.

WE

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