RESTRICTED
не HR 0261
1 1 JAN 1988
012
070314
MDHIAN 1162
DEST INDEX
SFICER
COINTRY
P.S.
PA
Auction Taken
YOUR TELNO 1105: INVITATION TO CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER
HE
1. BEFORE WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACT ON PARA 2 OF YOUR TUR, JIANG 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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