TNAG-1871-FCO40-2659-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1989 — Page 63

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EMPEROR HIROHITO'S FUNERAL:

1.

SECRETARY OF STATE'S BILATERALS

The Secretary of State will visit Tokyo on 23-25 February for Emperor Hirohito's funeral. The arrangements are still far from firm, but there will be time for some bilaterals. On present plans, the maximum time available would be: the afternoon of 23 February, up to 2 hours on the 24th, and around 3 hours on the afternoon of the 25th.

2.

We have already bid for a bilateral (either a meeting or possibly a meal) with US Secretary of State Baker. Fitting this in will for obvious reasons be given a high priority. The purpose of this minute is to invite bids for other bilaterals, with Foreign Ministers or others attending the funeral.

The Secretary

3. I attach FED's current attendance list. It is still incomplete and there may be last-minute additions. of State will attend the opening of the negotiations on Conventional Forces in Europe in Vienna at the beginning of March and will have an opportunity to see European and North American colleagues then (as was possible at the close of the Vienna CSCE meeting earlier this month). Our instinct is therefore to aim in Tokyo for those Foreign Ministers etc whom other events do not normally reach. Asian participants (eg China, South Korea) are one possibility; but there are a number of Africans and Latin Americans who might be worthwhile targets too. Soviet Department will want to consider whether another bilateral with Shevardnadze should be sought if he in the end attends.

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