TNAG-1462-FCO40-1988-Visits-by-Chinese-officials-to-the-UK--including-visit-by-Hu-1986 — Page 86

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7.

More generally

I

understand

that Ministers favour fairly frequent visits to London by the Governor, to ensure that he keeps abreast of thinking here and is able to take this fully into account in dealing with problems and pressures in Hong Kong.

8.

There would be a number of practical and presentational problems connected with the return of Sir R Evans. In theory it would of course be helpful to have his first-hand account of Chinese perceptions, and of the

likely reaction to what we will propose.

But the simultaneous recall of the Governor and Sir R Evans would no doubt be more directly connected in the public mind with the Secretary of State's meeting with Wu, and could give rise to speculation about a crisis in relations over Hong Kong. This could adversely affect both confidence in Hong Kong and the Chinese approach to the Brussels meeting. Moreover Sir R Evans will be host in Peking to the PUS-designate between 14 and 16 May: his Head of Chancery is on leave; and in any event he will be returning to London with Hu Yaobang less than three weeks later. In the light of these practical considerations it is likely that he would in any case have particular difficulty in getting away from Peking. The draft telegram accordingly invites him to make his contribution by telegram and looks forward to the opportunity for discussing the next steps when he is back in London in early June.

I have discussed the with

Hitter in draft

with the recommendation.

and agree

Discussion with the

GovLINN

would be useful a

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could

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30

CO Hum

Hong Kong Department

be suivedly disguised. Having the pinagar present also

A

is Nit so exertis and, ajost from the practical

difficulties for him, would lead

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cruci.

to unhelp the speculation

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