TNAG-1463-FCO40-1989-Visits-by-Chinese-officials-to-the-UK--including-visit-by-Hu-1986 — Page 36

OCMIAN 7602

CONFIDENTIAL

DD 170100Z PEKIN

144)

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37602

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FM FCOLN TO PEKIN

161830Z MAY

GRS 320

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FM FCO

TO DESKBY 170100Z PEKING

TELNO 451

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ALCLIVED

DESK:

ISTRY

- 3 JUN 1986

INDEX

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP BRUSSELS, UKDEL NATO

taken

JAB 8/6

OUR TELNO 398:

SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH THE CHINESE

FOREIGN MINISTER, 23 MAY: PRESS HANDLING

1. ALTHOUGH A FINAL DECISION HAS NOT YET BEEN TAKEN, WE ARE DISPOSED TO ANNOUNCE THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH WU XUEQUIAN IN THE NORMAL WAY ON MONDAY 19 MAY, WHEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S MOVEMENTS FOR THE WEEK WILL BE GIVEN TO THE

MIDDAY PRESS CONFERENCE. WE FEEL THAT TO DELAY AN ANNOUNCEMENT UNTIL NEARER THE TIME, ALTHOUGH DESIRABLE IN SOME WAYS, WOULD ATTRACT ATTENTION AS A DEPARTURE FROM THE NORM AND HENCE GIVE

RISE TO SPECULATION THAT SOME CRISIS HAS ARISEN.

2.

THE PRESENT PLAN IS THAT NEWS DEPARTMENT WOULD ANNOUNCE THE

VISIT TO BRUSSELS IN THE FOLLOWING TERMS:

BEGINS. THE SECRETARY OF STATE WILL BE VISITING BRUSSELS ON

23 MAY FOR A MEETING WITH THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF NATO, LORD CARRINGTON, IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING OF NATO MINISTERS IN HALIFAX LATER IN THE MONTH. HE HAS ACCEPTED AN INVITATION TO

HAVE LUNCH WITH THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER, WHO WILL BE IN

BRUSSELS AT THE SAME TIME. ENDS.

3. IF ASKED ABOUT THE MEETING WITH WU XUEQUIAN, NEWS DEPARTMENT WILL ADD THAT IT WILL BE A BRIEF ONE: THAT IT WAS FIXED UP SOME

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