TNAG-2038-FCO40-2902-Ministerial-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1991 — Page 112

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dates and to accommodate you in Government House. Though he has not said so explicitly, he will clearly also be much preoccupied at the weekend.

7. The Governor's first response was to suggest that the visit should go ahead on those dates with Sir David Ford, the Chief Secretary and the Governor's number two, receiving you. We have explored the alternative of reversing the order of the programme so as to visit Hong Kong first (with business on 14-15 January) before travelling on to Japan. The difficulty with this is that it would only allow for three working days in Japan, all in Tokyo, because the Ambassador there has to field another Ministerial visitor from 20 January and the small Consulate General in Osaka will be preoccupied with their leg of the British Fashion Show which you will be opening in Tokyo. In the light of all this, the Governor's office have indicated that a third option is open, sticking to the original itinerary and having a substantive meeting with the Governor on the morning of 21 January before he leaves for the airport.

8. I recommend, therefore, that we stick to the itinerary which you have already agreed, taking up the offer of a meeting with the Governor on 21 January. I also recommend that you and Mrs Lilley stay with Mr Heap, in view of the Governor's other preoccupations and the added status that this should give to our trade promotion machine in Hong Kong.

9. The head of the FCO's Hong Kong department, who has, at my request, discussed all this with the Governor's Private Secretary, also recommends this solution.

David Love

DAVID LOVE