TNAG-1634-FCO40-2250-Visits-by-Chinese-officials-to-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 41

23

GRS 372

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 1018

OF 040707Z JUNE 87

Confidential

11LB 027/8

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG

MY TELNO 977:

1.

CAJUN 1967

TOP COPY Q-DIST ?

TRANSIT OF HONG KONG BY CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER.

DURING A CALL BY THOMSON ON WANG JIAJI ON 4 JUNE, WANG REFERRED

TO THOMSON'S CALL ON KE ZAISHUO (MY TUR). HE SAID THAT HE WAS NOW INSTRUCTED TO REPLY AS FOLLOWS. WU EXPRESSED HIS THANKS FOR THE

GOODWILL AND WISHES EXPRESSED BY THE GOVERNOR. HE WAS VERY PLEASED

TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET SIR D WILSON AND WAS GRATEFUL FOR THE GOVERNOR'S OFFER TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THAT MEETING. WU'S ENTOURAGE WOULD NUMBER 8 (INCLUDING WU HIMSELF) AND THE TEAM WOULD LEAVE CANADA FOR HONG KONG ON 20 JUNE ON FLIGHT CP-007. NCNA HONG KONG BRANCH OFFICIALS WOULD GREET THE PARTY ON ARRIVAL AT KAI TAK AND WOULD ALSO SEE WU OFF AT THE BORDER ON HIS DEPARTURE. IN VIEW OF THE SIZE OF THE ENTOURAGE AND THE ADDITION TO IT OF NCNA OFFICIALS, THE TEAM WOULD BE QUITE LARGE. IF WE THOUGHT IT DIFFICULT TO ARRANGE FOR THE WHOLE TEAM TO FLY BY HELICOPTER, THE CHINESE SIDE SUGGESTED THAT THERE SHOULD BE ONE HELICOPTER TRIP ONLY FOR WU AND HIS PRINCIPAL COLLEAGUES FROM KAI TAK TO FANLING. THE REST OF THE TEAM WOULD TRAVEL DIRECT TO SHENZHEN BY TRANSPORT TO BE ARRANGED BY NCNA. THE CHINESE SIDE WONDERED WHETHER, AFTER WU'S MEETING WITH THE GOVERNOR, HKG WOULD MAKE AVAILABLE VEHICLES TO TRANSPORT WU AND THE OFFICIALS ACCOMPANYING HIM FROM FANLING TO THE BORDER. ON SPECIFIC DETAILED ARRANGEMENTS, THE MFA WOULD INSTRUCT NCNA HONG KONG BRANCH TO CONTACT AND LIAISE WITH HKG OFFICIALS. ONCE DETAILS HAD BEEN FINALISED, NCNA WOULD REPORT BACK TO THE MFA WHO WOULD SEND DETAILS TO WU (WHO WAS CURRENTLY ON AN AFRICAN TOUR). IF WE HERE SAW NEED FOR ANY DISCUSSION OF ARRANGEMENTS, WE WERE WELCOME TO CONTACT THE MFA.

2.

THOMSON SAID THAT HE WAS GLAD TO HEAR THAT WU HAD BEEN ABLE TO ACCEPT THE GOVERNOR'S INVITATION. HE COULD NOT SAY HOW MANY PEOPLE COULD BE ACCOMMODATED ON THE HELICOPTER JOURNEY AND SUGGESTED THAT ARRANGEMENTS FOR THIS AND FOR TRANSPORTATION FROM FANLING LODGE TO THE BORDER SHOULD BE MADE IN HONG KONG. HE ASKED WHETHER WANG KNEW THE PRECISE ARRIVAL TIME OF WU'S FLIGHT (BEARING IN MIND THAT CP-007 WOULD PROBABLY ARRIVE ON SUNDAY 21 JUNE). WANG UNDERTOOK TO CHECK AND LET US KNOW.

EVANS

PEHPAN 1252

MINIMAL

HKD FED

Confidential

}