TNAG-1634-FCO40-2250-Visits-by-Chinese-officials-to-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 44

OCMIAN 6513

CONFIDENTIAL

PP PEKIN

FM FCOLN TO PEKIN

271200Z MAY

GRS 248

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO PRIORITY PEKING

TELNO

502

OF 27120OZ MAY 87

AND TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

via

PA Chive Vint

ра

вик

56513

1

20

Пивогт 18

Gk

03 JUN1267

LI XIANNIAN

1.

YOU WERE QUITE RIGHT TO DISCOURAGE THE CHINESE FROM PURSUING

THE IDEA OF A VISIT BY LI XIANNIAN THIS YEAR OR NEXT.

2. YOU MAY OF COURSE TELL THE CHINESE THAT WE STAND BY THE

INVITATION TO THE HEAD OF STATE TO VISIT BRITAIN AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO ARRANGING A WORTHWHILE AND ENJOYABLE VISIT. BUT AS

YOU POINTED OUT TO ZHOU NAN, THESE VISITS NEED TO BE PLANNED WITH

A LONG LEAD-IN TIME. ONLY THREE INWARD STATE VISITSARE ORGANISED

EACH YEAR AND THE REMAINING VISITS FOR THIS YEAR AND THREE FOR

1988 HAVE ALREADY BEEN FIXED.

3. FROM YOUR DESCRIPTION OF ZHOU'S APPROACH, WE IMAGINE IT WAS NO MORE THAN A PROPER CHECK ON WHETHER THE OUTSTANDING

INVITATION WAS TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE NEAR FUTURE RATHER THAN

ANY STRONG OR HIGH LEVEL PRESSURE FROM THE CHINESE SIDE FOR AN

EARLY VISIT. AS YOU WILL RECALL, LI HIMSELF TOLD THE QUEEN THAT HIS HEALTH DID NOT PERMIT HIM MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAVEL, AND

THAT HE WAS UNLIKELY TO REMAIN PRESIDENT FOR MUCH LONGER.

FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION, THE ROYAL VISIT COMMITTEE AGREED

4.

1

CONFIDENTIAL