TNAG-1743-FCO40-2462-Visits-by-FCO-officials-to-Hong-Kong--including-visit-by-Lor-1988 — Page 203

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 27

OF 05170OZ JANUARY 88

CONFIDENTIAL

& DIST FOOY

117330

MDHOAN 5982

FKB 007/ 027

15 JAN 1988

FOLLOWING PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM HUM HKD

YOUR TELNO 28: MR EGGAR: VISIT TO HONG KONG

1. I UNDERSTAND THAT MR EGGAR HAS VISITED HONG KONG PRIVATELY ON

THREE OCCASIONS, MOST RECENTLY IN ABOUT 1984. HE THEREFORE KNOWS

THE TERRITORY RATHER BETTER THAN YOU HAD BEEN LED TO BELIEVE.

2. IN PRINCIPLE THERE WOULD CLEARLY BE ADVANTAGE IN BRINGING HIS

KNOWLEDGE UP TO DATE. BUT THE SOUNDINGS WHICH WE HAVE TAKEN HERE

LEAD US TO CONCLUDE THAT THE TIME WOULD NOT YET BE RIGHT FOR A

VISIT. MR EGGAR'S RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HONG KONG ARE

RELATIVELY INFREQUENT PARLIAMENTARY ONES. IT IS FELT HERE (AND

YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THE SENSITIVITIES) THAT OUR PRIORITY SHOULD BE

TO ESTABLISH LORD GLENARTHUR FIRMLY IN PUBLIC EYES AS THE FCO

MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR HONG KONG. STRICTLY FOR YOUR OWN

INFORMATION, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT HE MIGHT STOP OVER IN HONG KONG IN LATE FEBRUARY (FOR DINNER, AN OVERNIGHT STAY AND PERHAPS A MORNING MEETING) ON THE WAY TO THE INAUGURATION OF THE

KOREAN PRESIDENT. FURTHER AHEAD HE IS PLANNING A SUBSTANTIVE

VISIT IN MAY OR EARLY JUNE IN CONJUNCTION WITH A VISIT TO CHINA. THE SECRETARY OF STATE, AS YOU KNOW, WOULD ALSO LIKE TO VISIT HONG KONG SOME TIME IN THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.

3. WHERE THIS MONTH'S DEBATE IS CONCERNED, THE KEY GOVERNMENT STATEMENT WILL OF COURSE BE THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OPENING

SPEECH. HE PLANS TO STAY FOR AS MUCH OF THE DEBATE AS HE CAN. MR EGGAR'S WIND-UP SPEECH WILL BE ON THE BASIS OF BRIEFING AGREED

BY MINISTERS IN ADVANCE.

HOWE

YYYY

1

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CONFIDENTIAL