RESTRICTED
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2206
OF 210708Z DECEMBER 1987
AND TO IMMEDIATE
HONG KONG
RESTRICTED
Bute M- F-C
29/12
070314 MDHIAN 1162
SB 23/12 MDHIAN
Have informed PS (Dury) of this tel & that we will
5B21/12
Subsreit
YOUR TELNO 1105: INVITATION TO CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER
JIANG
HE
1. BEFORE WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACT ON PARA 2 OF YOUR TUR, ENZHU THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE MFA WESTERN EUROPEAN DEPARTMENT, ASKED MISS BAILES TO CALL ON HIM AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE ON 21 DECEMBER TO RECEIVE HIS MINISTER'S FORMAL RESPONSE TO YOUR INVITATION. AT THE CALL, JIANG SPOKE AS FOLLOWS: WU XUEQIAN WAS GRATEFUL FOR YOUR INVITATION TO VISIT THE UK NEXT MARCH, AND HAD GREAT PLEASURE IN ACCEPTING. SINCE HE WAS PROPOSING TO VISIT THE US IN EARLY MARCH, WOULD LIKE TO COME STRAIGHT FROM THERE TO LONDON, ARRIVING PROBABLY ON 8 MARCH. HE WOULD PREFER TO HAVE NO FORMAL ENGAGEMENTS ON THAT FIRST DAY, BUT TO START WITH THE OFFICIAL AGENDA ON THE 9TH. HE WOULD HOPE TO DEVOTE 9-11 MARCH TO TALKS WITH YOU, OTHER ENGAGEMENTS IN LONDON AND MEETINGS WITH OTHER ''BRITISH LEADERS'' AS APPROPRIATE (COMMENT ፡ ANOTHER HINT THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO CALL ON THE PRIME MINISTER): AND WOULD THEN HAVE THE WEEKEND FREE FOR A VISIT OR VISITS OUTSIDE LONDON, DEPARTING FOR CHINA ON 13 OR POSSIBLY 14 MARCH. IF HOWEVER, FOR ANY REASON IT WAS NOT CONVENIENT FOR YOU TO HOLD THE MAIN TALKS BETWEEN 9-11 MARCH HE WOULD ALSO BE WILLING TO MAKE HIS TRIPS OUT OF LONDON DURING THOSE FIRST DAYS AND RETURN FOR OFFICIAL TALKS ON 11-13 MARCH.
2. JIANG ADDED THAT BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO DOVETAIL ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE US VISIT-DATES FOR WHICH WERE BEING PUT IN PARALLEL TO THE US EMBASSY IN PEKING TODAY- THE MFA WOULD WELCOME RAPID CONFIRMATION THAT THE DATES PROPOSED WERE ALL RIGHT IN PRINCIPAL. THEY COULD THEN GIVE US MORE DETAILS OF WU'S OWN IDEAS FOR THE PROGRAMME AND THE TOPICS HE WOULD LIKE TO COVER. IF THE PROPOSED DATES FOR THE US VISIT HAD TO BE ADJUSTED WE MIGHT, OF COURSE, HAVE TO RETHINK THE TIMING AT LEAST OF WU'S ARRIVAL IN THE UK.
COMMENT
3. WU'S DECISION TO OPT FOR THE SECOND WEEKEND IN MARCH WILL MAKE IT DIFFICULT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE, FOR SENIOR FCO OFFICIALS CONCERNED WITH HONG KONG TO PARTICIPATE IN HIS PROGRAMME. MISS BAILES
MENTIONED THIS TO JIANG ENZHU,
WHO SAID IT WAS A PITY BUT PERSONALLY
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