TNAG-1635-FCO40-2251-Overseas-visits-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-1988 — Page 23

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02719

FROM:

CO HUM

HONG KONG DEPARTMENT

23 SEP 1987

DATE:

18 September 1987

Private Secretary

:

cc. Mr Gillmore

Mr Cooper, FED

VISIT BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO NEW YORK: HONG KONG

1.

I submit three sets of the briefing on Hong Kong for the Secretary of State's visit to New York. It comprises a speaking note and background papers on representative government, together with a separate speaking note and essential facts dealing with other · issues. I am submitting separately our response to the Secretary of State's comments on the handling of the issue of representative

government.

2.

These are

I think we should ensure that you have in New York a complete set of speaking notes which the Governor of Hong Kong is proposing to use in his own visit to Peking from 23 25 September. attached in a separate folder, for you only. submitted it on 16 September.

3.

You will recall that I

I also mentioned to you the tricky question of timing between discussions in New York and Peking. I understand that the Secretary of State's meeting with Wu Xueqian will take place at 1745 on 23 September. You will see from the attached copy of the Governor's programme in Peking that he arrives in Peking on the same evening, Peking time, and begins his formal discussions on the following morning. The time difference between New York and Peking is 13 hours. By my calculations the Governor will be beginning his talks in Peking on 24 September at roughly the same time as the Secretary of State finishes his discussion with Wu on the previous evening New York time. I do not think it will be feasible for a record of the Secretary of State's conversation to reach Peking in time for the

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