CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 0610
OF 11120OZ FEBRUARY 88
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY Q_DIST?
063015
MDLIAN 9402
HUKB 006/
12 FEB 1988
GOVERNOR'S FUTURE TRAVEL PLANS IN CHINA
1. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF I COULD MAKE OUTLINE PLANS FOR MY TRAVEL IN CHINA THIS YEAR. IN GENERAL I BELIEVE IT IS USEFUL TO KEEP UP A REGULAR BUT NOT EXCESSIVE RATE OF VISITS, BOTH TO THE CAPITAL AND SELECTED PROVINCES. WHAT I HAVE IN MIND FOR 1988 IS:
(A) WEEK BEGINNING 23 APRIL. VISIT TO ZHEJIANG AND FUJIAN PROVINCES. I HAVE A GENERAL INVITATION PASSED THROUGH THE C-G IN SHANGHAI TO VISIT ZHEJIANG, WHICH IS NOW ONE OF THE MOST PROSPEROUS AND RAPIDLY DEVELOPING PROVINCES AND WHICH HAS VERY DIRECT LINKS WITH HONG KONG. FUJIAN, AFTER GUANGDONG, IS THE PROVINCE WITH WHICH WE HAVE THE MOST PRACTICAL DIRECT DEALINGS (E.G) ON IMMIGRATION
QUESTIONS).
(B) EARLY SEPTEMBER. VISIT TO PEKING, TIANJIN AND POSSIBLEY CHENGDE. A THOUGH THIS YEAR'S HONG KONG POLITICAL CALENDAR DOES NOT PINPOINT A DATE FOR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE CENTRAL AUTHORITIES AS OBVIOUSLY AS WAS THE CASE LAST YEAR, I HOPE YOU AND HMA PEKING WILL AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO EARMARK A TIME FOR A GENERAL EXCHANGE OF VIEWS. MOREOVER, ON PRESENT SHOWING, WE ARE LIKELY TO NEED AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE UP POINTS ON THE BASIC LAW. IN ORDER TO LESSEN THE IMPRESSION IN THE EYES OF HONG KONG OPINION THAT I AM SIMPLY RUNNING AFTER THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT I THINK IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO ADD A VISIT TO TIANJIN AND POSSIBLY TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PEKING MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES IN THEIR OWN RIGHT IN ORDER TO DISCUSS COOPERATION WITH HONG KONG. I SHOULD ALSO LIKE IF POSSIBLE TO ADD A SIGHT-SEEING VISIT TO CHENGDE IF TIME ALLOWS. BESIDES, I HOPE BEING ENJOYABLE, IT WOULD ALSO HELP TO REDUCE THE IMPRESSION OF A VISIT SIMPLY TO DISCUSS POLITICAL ISSUES.
2. I SEE ADVANGAGE IN DEVELOPING FURTHER OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GUANGDONG PROVINCE. I VISITED GUANGZHOU BRIEFLY IN EARLY DECEMBER AND PLAN A DAY VISIT TO SHENZHEN SEZ ON 3 MARCH (MY TELNO 173). IF TIME ALLOWED, PROBABLY IN THE AUTUMN, I WOULD HOPE TO VISIT SOME OF THE TOWNS IN THE PEARL REVER DELTA WHICH HAVE ECONOMIC LINKS
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