TNAG-1597-FCO40-2182-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1987 — Page 91

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PRESENT MESSAGE SHOULD REFER ONLY TO THE TWO POSSIBLE MEETINGS OUTSIDE BRITAIN IN THE FIRST PART OF THE YEAR. PROPOSE THREE MEETINGS AT ONE GO WOULD BE RATHER A LOT AND WOULD INCREASE THE PROBABILITY THAT THE CHINESE WOULD GO SNAP ON ONLY ONE OR TWO OUT OF THE THREE:

THE PROPOSAL OF A MEETING IN WESTERN EUROPE IS MADE IN GENERAL TERMS: BUT IN THE LIGHT OF PEKING TELNO 122 WE SHOULD NOW CONSIDER EXACTLY WHAT TIMING AND WHICH VENUE WOULD SUIT US BEST. MY INITIAL FEELING IS THAT WE SHOULD NOT WAIT UNTIL THE END OF WU'S TOUR, BECAUSE THIS WOULD MEAN THAT THE TWO MEETINGS WOULD BE HELD RATHER CLOSE TOGETHER. ON THE OTHER HAND THE BEGINNING OF HIS TOUR COINCIDES WITH THE JLG AND SOME MEMBERS OF THE SUPPORTING CAST FOR A MEETING WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE.

I CONCLUDE THAT WE MIGHT AIM FOR

A MEETING IN THE FRG BETWEEN 23 AND 25 MARCH:

THE MESSAGE CONCLUDES WITH BEST WISHES FOR THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT I HAVE FORBORNE TO MENTION (BUT WILL DO SO IN A COVERING SUBMISSION) THAT THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT IS A CONGENIAL YEAR FOR DIPLOMACY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (THE HANDBOOK OF CHINESE HOROSCOPES: THEODORA LAU: PAGE 79).

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