TNAG-1634-FCO40-2250-Visits-by-Chinese-officials-to-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 14

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Hub 02718

1 8 NOV 1988

50

See(51

125135

MDLIAN 8166

FM PEKING

IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TO

TELNO 169

OF 100744Z NOVEMBER 1987

INGEX

INFO PRIORITY FCO, CANBERRA, WELLINGTON

TOP COPY O DIST ?

POSSIBLE VISIT TO HONG KONG BY STATE COUNCILLOR GU MU

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A HONG KONG BUSINESSMAN VISITING PEKING LAST WEEK DREW OUR

ATTENTION TO REPORTS THAT STATE COUNCILLOR GU MU WOULD BE VISITING

AUSTRALIA FROM 14-24 NOVEMBER AND NEW ZEALAND FROM 24-30 NOVEMBER

THIS YEAR, PRESUMABLY TRANSITING HONG KONG IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. HE WONDERED IF ANY THOUGHT HAD BEEN GIVEN TO INVITING GU MU TO STOP OVER FOR A SHORT VISIT IN HONG KONG, INCLUDING CONTACTS WITH ORGANS LIKE THE HONG KONG TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, HONG KONG PRODUCTION CENTRE, HONG KONG VOCATIONAL BUREAU AND THE TAI PO INDUSTRIAL ESTATE. HE THOUGH GU MU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE

RESPECTIVE NEW AIRPORT PROPOSALS FOR HONG KONG AND SHENZHEN.

2.

WE TOLD THE BUSINESSMAN IN QUESTION THAT WE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF

ANY SUCH PLAN. IT SEEMS TO ME, HOWEVER, THAT EVEN IF THE IDEA IS A NEW ONE (AND REGARDLESS OF ITS PROVENANCE) IT MAY BE WORTH YOUR

SERIOUS CONSIDERATION. GU MU HAS SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY ON THE

STATE COUNCIL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES, AND A STOP-OVER IN HONG KONG WOULD OFFER THE CHANCE TO QUESTION HIM ABOUT

THESE AND SUCH MATTERS AS FOREIGN INVESTMENT PROVISIONS IN CHINA AS

WELL AS SHOWING HIM SOMETHING OF THE HONG KONG ECONOMY AND

DEVELOPMENT PHILOSOPHY. TO SET AGAINST THIS, GU MU HIMSELF WAS NOT RE-ELECTED EVEN TO THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE AT THE THIRTEENTH PARTY CONGRESS AND IT MUST SEEM DOUBTFUL WHETHER HE CAN NOW EXPECT TO

RETAIN HIS POST AS STATE COUNCILLOR BEYOND NEXT SPRING. HOWEVER,

THE OFFICE AS WELL AS THE MAIN IS IMPORTANT AND A SUCCESSFUL VISIT

OF THE KIND DESCRIBED MIGHT BE A USEFUL ONE TO HAVE UNDER OUR BELTS

FROM SEVERAL POINTS OF VIEW.

3. IF YOU WISH TO TAKE UP THIS IDEA, THE TIME IS NOW CLEARLY TOO SHORT TO ARRANGE A VISIT ON GU MU'S WAY OUT TO AUSTRALIA. HIS RETURN TRIP FROM NEW ZEALAND WOULD STILL SEEM A PRACTICAL POSSIBILITY, AND THE PROGRAMME DETAILS COULD BE FIXED UP WITH THE HELP OF POSTS AT CANBERRA AND WELLINGTON AS NECESSARY. THERE WOULD, ALSO, JUST BE TIME FOR US TO CONVEY THE INVITATION IN GENERAL TERMS TO GU MU BEFORE HE LEAVES PEKING ON THE 14TH. GRATEFUL FOR YOUR

VIEWS.

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