GRS 300
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
Confidential
TAN 027/8
TO DESKBY 13100OZ FCO
TELNO 127
OF 1309O5Z JANUARY 87
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
IN REGISTRY
23 JAN 1987
* OFFICER
PA
un Taken
TOP COPY Q DIST 7
YOUR TELNO 70 (PARA 3B) AND PEKING TELNO 33: VISIT TO HONG KONG BY
ZHOU NAN.
1. WE AGREE IN THE CONTEXT OF YOUR FIRST TUR THAT JANUARY-MARCH WOULD
BE THE RIGHT TIME FOR THIS VISIT. WE WOULD AIM TO SHOW ZHOU NAN HONG KONG AND WHAT MAKES IT TICK AND EXPLAIN THE STATE OF HONG KONG OPINION. IT WOULD NOT BE A NEGOTIATING SESSION ON THE CONTENT OF
THE GREEN PAPER.
2. WE SHALL NEED TO GIVE THE CHINESE AN EARLY STEER ON TIMING. FOLLOWING THE EXCHANGE IN PEKING REPORTED IN SECOND TUR WANG JIAJI ASKED BOYD WHETHER HONG KONG OPINION WOULD REGARD A VISIT BY ZHOU AS HELPFUL OR OTHERWISE. BOYD SAID ON THE WHOLE HE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE SEEN AS A GOOD THING. HE WAS SURE ZHOU WOULD BE WARMLY WELCOMED IN
HONG KONG. (SEPARATELY YE SHOUZENG, MFA, THOUGHT THAT ZHOU WOULD
ACCEPT: HE HAD WANTED TO COME FOR A LONG TIME).
3. SUBSEQUENTLY WANG ASKED BOYD INFORMALLY ABOUT TIMING. BOYD SAID
THIS COULD BE PURSUED IN DUE COURSE BETWEEN THE EMBASSY AND THE MFA.
BUT IN HONG KONG TERMS ZHOU MIGHT POSSIBLY COME IN THE GAP BETWEEN
THE ARRIVAL OF THE NEW GOVERNOR AND THE PUBLICATION OF THE GREEN
PAPER. HE SHOULD CERTAINLY NOT COME AFTER THE LATTER AS HE WOULD
FIND HIMSELF UNDER GREAT PRESSURE FROM THE MEDIA TO COMMENT ON ITS
SPECIFIC CONTENTS. (THIS LINE REFLECTED OUR THEN LOCAL THINKING
ON TIMING).
4. IT WOULD BE A PITY IF AN APRIL VISIT TOOK ROOT IN THE MFA.
GRATEFUL IF THE EMBASSY COULD, IF YOU AGREE, BE INSTRUCTED TO SPEAK FURTHER TO WANG, PERHAPS TO EXPLAIN THAT BOYD'S COMMENTS WERE
VERY PRELIMINARY AND THAT THE LIKELY DATE OF THE NEW GOVERNOR'S
ARRIVAL MEANS THAT IT WOULD BE ADVISABLE FOR ZHOU TO COME EARLIER,
FOR EXAMPLE IN FEBRUARY OR MARCH. THE EMBASSY MIGHT WISH TO ADD THAT
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD AIM TO ARRANGE A PROGRAMME COVERING
A WIDE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES IN HONG KONG, SOMEWHAT ON THE LINES OF
THE PROGRAMME ORGANISED FOR JI PENGFEI: BUT WE SHOULD OF COURSE BE
HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN ANY PARTICULAR REQUESTS.
AKERS-JONES
HMLNAN 7138
HONG KUNG AGREEMENT:RESTRICTED
LIMITED
HD/HKD
HD/FED
RESEARCH DEPT (FE)
DEP/HD/PUSD_PS. PS/MR RENTON
MR GILLMORE MR WILSON
COPILS TO:
MR FIFOOT
LEGAL ADVISERS
Confidential
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