TNAG-1462-FCO40-1988-Visits-by-Chinese-officials-to-the-UK--including-visit-by-Hu-1986 — Page 138

GRS 400

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

TO DESKBY 07090OZ FCO

TELNO 496

OF 070618Z APRIL 86

CONFIDENTIAL

INFO DESKBY 07070OZ HONG KONG

TOP COPY

HKR.006.12

RECEIVED TE

:

- 8 APR 1986

RY

on Taken

YOUR TELNO 269: WU XUEQIAN

1. ON RECEIPT OF YOUR TELEGRAM,

AB 814

TELEPHONED JIANG ENZHU, DEPUTY

DIRECTOR OF THE WESTERN EUROPEAN DEPARTMENT, TO ASK FOR A CALL ON

3

WU. AT HIS REQUEST, GAVE HIM AN OUTLINE OF THE MESSAGE. THE

DEPARTMENT LATER SUGGESTED A CALL TODY ON ZHOU NAN, TO WHICH M AGREED.

2. ZHOU SAID THAT WU APOLOGISED FOR BEING UNABLE TO MEET ME HN

PERSON. HE WOULD BE BUSY ALL DAY WITH PREPARATIONS FOR HIS VISIT TO

JAPAN. HAD ALREADY BRE:FED JIANG HN OUTLANE AND THIS HAD GIVEN

ZHOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THE MATTER WITH WU. HE WAS THEREFORE

IN A POST:LON TO MAKE SEVERAL POINTS ON WU'S BEHALF.

3. WU WAS GRATEFUL FOR YOUR MESSAGE, WHICH CAME FROM AN OLD FRIEND,

AND ACCEPTED IN PRINCIPLE YOUR PROPOSAL FOR A MEETING. WU HAD NOTED

THAT A MEETING NEAR LONDON WAS YOUR PREFERRED OPTION. BUT WU'S VISIT

*INVOLVED MANY COUNTRIES AND A TIGHT SCHEDULE. TO REARRANGE THIS

WOULD CAUSE DIFFICULTIES, NOT ONLY FOR THE CHINESE BUT ALSO FOR HOST COUNTRIES. WU THEREFORE CONSIDERED THAT THE SECOND SUGGESTION, A MEETING IN BRUSSELS ON 23 MAY, WOULD BE MORE REALISTIC". ZHOU

ASKED WHETHER YOU WOULD BE MAKING A SEPCIAL TRIP TO BRUSSELS.

REPLIED THAT DID NOT KNOW YOUR PROGRAMME, BUT BELIEVED THAT, IF YOU WERE TO GO, YOU MIGHT ARRANGE OTHER MEETINGS THERE. ZHOU SAID THAT WU HAD A PRETTY FULL PROGRAMME ON 23 MAY. HOWEVER, IF YOU COULD AGREE, HE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO LUNCH ON 23 MAY AT THE CHINESE EMBASSY IN BRUSSELS. ZHOU ASKED IF ; COULD ELABORATE ON THE SUBJECTS

TO BE DISCUSSED AT THE PROPOSED MEETING.

4. THANKED ZHOU. I SAID THAT YOU WOULD BE VERY PLEASED TO RECEIVE

WU'S POSITIVE RESPONSE IN PRINCIPLE. ON TIME AND PLACE, REPEATED THAT CHEVENING WAS YOUR FIRST CHOICE. HOPED THAT WU'S MIND WAS NOT

ENTIRELY CLOSED TO THIS ALTERNATIWE. HOWEVER, ₫ NOTED WU'S PREFERENCE FOR BRUSSELS. ON THE SUBJECTS YOU WISHED TO DISCUSS, 4 SAID THAT WOULD LAKE TO REST ON WHAT WAS SAID IN THE MESSAGE BUT

WOULD REPORT ZHOU'S ENQUIRY.

;

5. ZHOU THANKED ME FOR MY RESPONSE. ON WHERE AND WHEN, HE WISHED TO

MAKE CLEAR THAT WU'S REASONS FOR PREFERRING THE SECOND ALTERNATIVE WERE PURELY NON-POLITICAL. ON CONTENT, HE UNDERTOOK TO REPORT TO WU. HE WANTED TO ADD A PERSONAL POINT: DURING THE RECENT VISITS OF MR

RENTON AND SIR W HARDING TO PEKING, THE ISSUE OF THE FUTURE

STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN FULLY DISCUSSED, HE WONDERED

WHETHER WE NOW WANTED TO ADD TO WHAT HAD BEEN SA1D THEN.

CONFIDENTIAL

16.

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