TNAG-2037-FCO40-2901-Visits-from-countries-other-than-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 10

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO ROUTINE FCO

TELNO 3587

OF 0310OOZ DECEMBER 90

INFO ROUTINE MADRID

02677

HKB 026

RECEIVER

FOISTO

12 DEC 1990

DESK OFFICE:. INDEX

TF

(249

155304

MDLIAN 1798

PA

Acuon Takefi

р.а.

MADRID TELNO 1038 : VISIT TO HONG KONG BY FERNANDEZ ORDONEZ

1. WE LOOK FORWARD TO FERNANDEZ ORDONEZ'S VISIT TO HONG KONG ON 6 MARCH NEXT YEAR. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO MEET HIM AT 12.30PM THAT DAY AND TO HOST A LUNCH FOR HIM AFTERWARDS. WE ARE SO INFORMING THE SPANISH CONSUL-GENERAL HERE.

2. WHEN THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL FOR ASIAN AFFAIRS FROM THE SPANISH FOREIGN MINISTRY CALLED ON THE POLITICAL ADVISER ON 19 NOVEMBER, HE ASKED WHETHER THERE WOULD BE ANY SENSITIVITIES IN FERNANDEZ ORDONEZ MEETING ZHOU NAN WHILE HE WAS IN HONG KONG: HE HAD KNOWN ZHOU AT THE UNITED NATIONS. EHRMAN SAID THAT SOME VISITORS WHO PASSED THROUGH HONG KONG DID MEET ZHOU. A FOREIGN MINISTER HOWEVER WAS IN A SOMEWHAT SEPARATE CATEGORY FROM OTHER VISITORS. IT WAS IMPORTANT NOT TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT SPAIN EQUATED THE NCNA DIRECTOR IN ANY WAY WITH THE GOVERNOR OR THAT THEY CONSIDERED NCNA AN ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF AUTHORITY IN THE TERRITORY.

3. THE SPANIARDS DO NOT SEEM TO HAVE TAKEN THIS HINT. WITH LOWER LEVEL VISITS WE WOULD NOT SEE A PROBLEM WITH A MEETING WITH THE NCNA DIRECTOR. BUT WE DO THINK THAT IT WOULD BE SLIGHTLY ODD FOR A EUROPEAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO GO OUT OF HIS WAY TO CALL ON ZHOU. WE WOULD THEREFORE BE GRATEFUL IF MADRID COULD TACTFULLY DISCOURAGE THE IDEA. IF THE FOREIGN MINISTER IS PARTICULARLY KEEN TO SEE ZHOU, THE SENSIBLE ANSWER WOULD BE FOR THE CONSUL-GENERAL TO INVITE HIM FOR A MEAL.

WILSON

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CONFIDENTIAL