TNAG-1478-FCO40-2010-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1986 — Page 8

Dr Wilson

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Far Eastern Department

From Thorold Masefield

Date 11 December 1986

:

Сс :Mr Hum HKD

POSSIBLE VISIT TO THE FAR EAST BY SIR G HOWE IN MAY 1987

1. I understand that you are considering sending Mr Hervey a consolidated minute about the Asian component of a possible overseas visit by the Secretary of State during the Whitsun recess next year. As Mr Hum is recording we in FED share the view that a short visit to Peking would be useful. In our view it need not last longer than 24 hours in view of the Secretary of State's recent involvement in the State Visit.

2. So far as Japan is concerned Mr Kuranari told the Secretary of State during their meeting in New York on 24 September that he hoped that Sir G Howe would visit Japan at an appropriate time and stay long enough to travel outside Tokyo. UKMIS New York TelNo 911 (copy attached) does not record whether the Secretary of State indicated an interest in travelling outside Tokyo but I am certain that both the Department and the Embassy would welcome the prospect if the Secretary of State were able to spend enough time in Japan not only to have talks with Mr Kuranari but also to call on other leading Ministers, possibly including Mr Nakasone. There would also be advantage in the Secretary of State travelling outside Tokyo either in support of a commercial objective, or possibly to a scenic site to please his hosts who would like to show off some of their country to him. One possibility might be that the Secretary of State could start his visit to the Far East in Japan with a day outside Tokyo before the formal talks begin. He might then go on to China.

HK KORTIT HKSHORT

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RECEIVED Wine Clair

29 DEC 1986

DESK OFFICER

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J.T. Warfield

Thorold Masefield

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From: S M Waghorn (Miss)

Protocol Department

-Date: 4 December 1986

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29 DEC 1986

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Mr Jasper

Private Secretary

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PA

Action Taken

FED HKD NENAD WED

SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISITS OVERSEAS 1987

1. Please refer to your minute of 19 November which was circulated to Departments attaching the programme for Ministerial Visits Overseas in 1987.

2. It has now been agreed that the Secretary of State will accompany HM The Queen on Her visit to Berlin on 27-28 May 1987.

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3. These dates are in the middle of the Whitsun recess (22 May 1 June) when it had been proposed that the Secretary of State should visit Japan and possibly Jordan. The Private Secretary in anotating the record of the Ministerial Visits Committee also put down a marker for a visit to China (Hong Kong) at that time.

4. FED, HKD, NENAD, to whom I am copying this minute, may wish to consider alternative dates for the visit to their

area.

Shein Waghorn

S M Waghorn (Miss) Protocol Department 210 6373

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29 DEC 1986

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Dr Wilson.

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M. Jester A Thomas

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From Thorold Masefield

Far Eastern Department

Date 3 December 1986

133

cc: PS/Mr Renton

Mr Gillmore Mr Hum HKD Protocol D

SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO THE FAR EAST, 1987

A

B

PROBLEM

1.

When the Secretary of State sees the Japanese Foreign Minister in Brussels next week, Mr Kuranari may well ask when he can expect to receive Sir G Howe in Tokyo.

RECOMMENDATION

2.

I recommend that the Secretary of State should say that it is most unlikely that he will be able to get to Tokyo in the early part of next year, but that he hopes that it may be possible to fit in a visit during the Whitsun Recess at the end of May, if this would be convenient to Mr Kuranari.

BACKGROUND

3.

Political consultations between the Secretary of State and his Japanese opposite number are supposed to take place in alternate capitals roughly once a year, although in practice the gaps have often been more than 12 months. The Secretary of State held bilateral talks with Mr Abe in London in January this year.

Since then he has of course seen both Mr Abe (at the Summit) and his successor, Mr Kuranari (at the UNGA in New York). The meeting in Brussels will itself provide a good opportunity to go over a number of topics of mutual interest.

4.

The present plans for 1987 suggest that Sir G Howe will see Mr Kuranari at the OECD Ministerial Meeting in Paris on 12-13 May (when there will also probably be a round of TROIKA talks in the European Political Consultation series) and at the Venice Summit, 7-10 June.

ARGUMENT

5. The Japanese have told us informally that from their point of view the best time for a visit by Sir Geoffrey Howe might be early April. However, the Secretary of State is due to visit the South Pacific later that month and could not realistically extend the tour further to take in Japan. In any case, there are attractions in a visit to China in May 1987 as part of the continuing dialogue with the Chinese Foreign Minister, principally about Hong Kong. (The latest position is set out in Peking TelNo 2093.

CONFIDENTIAL

6./...

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