TNAG-1747-FCO40-2466-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1988 — Page 25

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SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO HONG KONG

1. WE HAVE RECEIVED TWO LETTERS REQUESTING MEETINGS WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE WHILE HE IS IN HONG KONG. ONE IS FROM A GROUP OF 11 'YOUNG PROFESSIONALS'', SOME OF WHOSE NAMES YOU WILL RECOGNISE, THE OTHER FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. MY TWO IFTS CONTAIN THE TEXTS OF THESE LETTERS.

2. WE MAY WELL RECEIVE OTHER SIMILAR REQUESTS PRIOR TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT. WE ASSUME THAT HE WOULD NOT WISH TO AGREE TO SUCH MEETINGS. ON THIS BASIS, WE WOULD PROPOSE TO INFORM

SIGNED YOU OF ANY SUCH REQUESTS AND TO GIVE A STANDARD REPLY, BY PS/GH, ALONG THE FOLLOWING LINES:-

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR LETTER ASKING IF A MEETING COULD BE ARRANGED WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE DURING HIS VISIT TO HONG KONG.

I HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO INFORM YOU THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE IS GRATEFUL FOR YOUR INTEREST. HOWEVER, HIS PROGRAMME IN HONG KONG WILL BE EXTREMELY BUSY AND HE WILL NOT UNFORTUNATELY BE ABLE TO FIND TIME TO MEET YOU. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SET OUT YOUR CONCERNS IN A LETTER TO SIR GEOFFREY, I WILL ENSURE THAT IT IS BROUGHT TO HIS ATTENTION DURING HIS VISIT.

UNQUOTE

3. GRATEFUL FOR COMMENTS.

WILSON

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