TNAG-2039-FCO40-2903-Visits-from-the-UK-to-China-1990 — Page 13

CONFIDENTIAL

@CC HKB 026/10

@ Mr Tedstone

19

037006

MDLIAN 4405

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 1547

OF 050945Z NOVEMBER 90

to enter

TOP COPY DIST?

INFO PRIORITY BTC HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, HONG KONG

FCO PERSONAL FOR PAUL

BTC HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR HEAP

нк

RECEP

8026/10

8 NOV 1990

UKREP JLG HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR GALSWORTHY

IME.

HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR

PW

HONG KONG TELNO 3169: VISIT OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO CHINA AND

HONG KONG

THANK YOU FOR BRINGING ME UP TO DATE ON THE SECRETARY OF

STATE'S TRAVEL PLANS.

1.

2.

I WOULD WELCOME A VISIT BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE IN APRIL. HE WILL FIND THE PHYSICAL APPEARANCE OF PEKING MUCH CHANGED SINCE THE 1950S, BUT I EXPECT HIM TO DETECT A CERTAIN UNDERLYING CONTINUITY IN THE CHINESE APPROACH TO MANY PROBLEMS DESPITE THE

VAGARIES OF CHINESE POLITICAL LIFE SINCE THAT PERIOD.

3. ON TIMING, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SEE HIM AT ANY POINT IN THE PERIOD 1-9 APRIL. UNLIKE THE GOVERNOR I DO, HOWEVER, HAVE A PREFERENCEON THE ORDER OF VISITS TO PEKING AND HONG KONG. I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE COULD VISIT PEKING FIRST, TO UNDERLINE THE POLITICAL FACT THAT HONG KONG IS BEST ADDRESSED

IN THE BROAD CONTEXT OF A FLOURISHING BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP COVERING A VARIETY OF POLITICAL QUESTIONS. A VISIT TO PEKING VIA

HONG KONG WOULD RISK FOSTERING TWO MISLEADING IMPRESSIONS:

(A) THAT OFR INTEREST IN CHINA IS DICTATED SOLELY BY THE NEED

FOR CONTINUED COOPERATION ON HONG KONG

(B) THAT THE DIRECTION OF OUR BILATERAL POLICY IS ENTIRELY GOVERNED BY PERCEPTIONS IN THE TERRITORY.

MY TELNO 1403 OF 12 OCTOBER COMMENTED IN MORE DETAIL ON THE

1

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