TNAG-1741-FCO40-2457-Visits-by-Sir-David-Wilson--Governor-of-Hong-Kong--to-the-UK-1988 — Page 83

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 0843

OF 27020OZ FEBRUARY 88

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

(36)

(38

134264 MDLIAN 3270

TOP COPY

CONFIDENT DIST ?

HKB 0261,

PEKING TELNO 39 TO HONG KONG: GOVERNOR'S TRAVEL PLANS IN CHINA: VISIT TO FUJIAN AND ZHEJIANG

FEBRUARY

PUT TO JI

SHAOXIANG OF NCNA THE 1. POLITICAL ADVISER ON 25 IDEA OF MY VISITING FUJIAN AND ZHEJIANG FOR A WORKING WEEK FROM 23

MAY.

2. JI UNDERTOOK TO CONVEY OUR PROPOSALS TO PEKING AND THE PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES CONCERNED. HE WAS SURE THAT THE IDEA WOULD BE WARMLY WELCOMED IN PRINCIPLE. HE RECALLED THAT THE GOVERNOR OF ZHEJIANG HAD HOPED TO ARRANGE FOR ME TO VISIT HIS PROVINCE AT THE TIME OF MY VISIT TO SHANGHAI LAST DECEMBER.

3. THERE WAS SOME PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION ABOUT A POSSIBLE ITINERARY. PA FLOATED THE IDEA OF MY GOING FIRST BY BOAT TO XIAMEN OVERNIGHT AND THEN ON TO FUZHOU. JI THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE FEASIBLE AND THAT THERE WOULD BE NO PROBLEM IN MY NOT GOING FIRST TO THE PROVINCIAL

ALTHOUGH CAPITAL. HE SAID THAT IT WOULD BE BEST TO FLY ON HANGZHOU, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN GOING BY TRAIN IF THIS WAS FEASIBLE. OTHER POSSIBLE CENTRES THAT JI SUGGESTED TO VISIT IN ZHEJIANG WERE NINGBO, SHAOXING (BIRTHPLACE OF LU XUN), FENGHUA (BIRTHPLACE OF CHIANG KAI SHEK) PUTUSHI (FAMOUS BUDDHIST TEMPLES) AND WENZHOU. IWOULD BE VERY INTERESTED TO VISIT WENZHOU IF POSSIBLE AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION OF ADVANCED REFORMIST POLICIES. I AM NOT KEEN

ON MY ON FENGHUA SINCE IT WOULD OPEN THE WAY FOR PRESS QUESTIONING VIEWS ABOUT TAIWAN

-

MAILAND RELATIONS.

4. WE SHALL LET YOU KNOW WHAT THE SUBSTANTIVE

CHINESE RESPNSE IS.

WILSON

YYYY

1

PAGE CONFIDENTIAL