TOP COPY
CONFIDENTIAL
GRS 450
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 232
OF 18O4OOZ FEBRUARY 86
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
HONG KONG TELEGRAM NOS 434 AND 347: VISITS BY SENIOR CHINESE TO
HONG KONG.
1. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THE OUTCOME OF THE GOVERNOR'S CONSULTATION OF EXCO ABOUT A VISIT BY LI PENG AND A STOPOVER BY
WU XUEQIAN.
2.
AS TO CHEN MUHUA, I CONTINUE TO DOUBT WHETHER SHE IS QUITE THE RIGHT PERSON FOR AN INVITATION. AMONG THEPREASONS I HAVE GIVEN IN EARLIER TELEGRAMS, THE MOST IMPORTANT IS THAT I DOUBT HER GENERAL INFLUENCE WITH THE SMALL GROUP OF LEADERS WHO MAKE POLICY IN RELATION TO HONG KONG. I THEREFORE WONDER WHETHER YOU AND THE GOVERNOR MIGHT BE PREPARED TO CONSIDER TIAN JIYUN AS AN ALTERNATIVE. HE IS THE VICE-PREMIER WITH GENERAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR FINANCE AND BANKING: HE IS CLEARLY CLOSE BOTH ZHAO ZIYANG AND TO HU QILI (HE HAS JUST BEEN ON TOUR WITH THEM IN THE SOUTH OF CHINA): AND HE HAS RECENTLY VISITED THE UNITED KINGDOM. I HAVE ALWAYS FOUND HIM BOTH AGREEABLE AND FORTHCOMING IN CONVERSATION (I TRAVELLED WITH HIM IN THE SAME CAR DURING FOUR DAYS IN LONDON LAST JUNE). THERE ARE THOSE HERE
WHO NOW THINK THAT HE IS A STRONGER CANDIDATE THAN LI PENG TO
SUCCEED ZHAO AS PREMIER.
3. I AM A LITTLE UNEASY ABOUT THE IDEA OF CONTINUING TO DELAY AN INVITATION TO ZHOU NAN. THE PROSPECT OF A VISIT BY HIM TO HONG KONG HAS BEEN FLOATED WITH HIM ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION (EG BY
MCLAREN AT ZHAO ZIYANG'S RECEPTION FOR THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS ON 30 SEPTEMBER, 1984) SEMICLN AND HE CERTAINLY REMAINS ANO 7945-, 5 PLAYER. THE IDEAL WAY OF GETTING HIM TO HONG KONG WITHOUT GIVING
HIM TOO HIGH A PROFILE WOULD BE TO ENGINEER A STOPOVER AT THE SAME
TIME AS A STOPOVER BY WU XUEQIAN. THE DIFFICULTY ABOUT THIS IDEA IS
THAT ZHOU IS THE VICE-MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR CHINA'S RELATIONS WITH WESTERN EUROPE, SO THAT HE WOULD NOT NATURALLY ACCOMPANY WU ON ANY JOURNEY WHICH THE LATTER MIGHT MAKE THROUGH HONG KONG.
AKK 027/4
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY----
INDL
1 8 FEB 1986
OFFICER
PA
Y
Action Taken
AB 182
CONFIDENTIAL
14
28
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