TNAG-2039-FCO40-2903-Visits-from-the-UK-to-China-1990 — Page 35

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CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 1311

OF 20114OZ APRIL 90

AND TO PRIORITY PEKING

INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG

MMB 026/10

:STRY

RECEIVED IN

- 3 MAY 1990

© B/10

020602

MDLIAN 5526

MY TELNO 722: PROPOSED VISIT BY CHIEF SECRETARY TO CHINA

1. AS FORSEEN IN PARA 5 OF TUR, WE SUGGESTED TO THE CHINESE THAT THE CHIEF SECRETARY WOULD LIKE TO VISIT GUANGDONG, GUANGXI AND HAINAN IN THE FIRST WEEK IN MAY. NCNA (YANG YOUYONG) HAS CONTACTED US THIS MORNING TO SAY THAT ALL THREE PROVINCES ARE ''TERRIBLY BUSY'', AND SUGGEST THAT ANY VISIT BE ''POSTPONED UNTIL AFTER THE MIDDLE OF JUNE''.

COMMENT

2. YANG CONFIRMED THAT THIS MESSAGE CAME FROM BEIJING. WE HAD EARLIER HEARD FROM JI SHAOXIANG THAT WHEN CONTACTED, THE GUANGXI LOCAL AUTHORITIES HAD BEEN KEEN ON THE IDEA.

3. THIS DELAYING TACTIC IS A PITY. IT SEEMS TO REFLECT A DIFFERENCE IN APPROACH TOWARDS RELATIONS WITH HONG KONG BETWEEN THE CENTRE, INFLUENCED BY CURRENT FRICTIONS OVER EG THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE, AND THE BILL OF RIGHTS AND THE NEARBY PROVINCES WHICH TEND TO BE

POSITIVE ABOUT THE VALUE OF CLOSE CONTACTS. POSTPONEMENT UNTIL AFTER MID-JUNE SUGGESTS ALSO ANXIETY ABOUT WHAT MAY HAPPEN HERE BY WAY OF COMMENORATIVE EVENTS. BUT POSTPONEMENT WITH A NEW DATE TRAILED, EVEN IF IT PROVES IMPOSSIBLE FOR US, IS MUCH MORE FORTHCOMING THAN POSTPONEMENT SINE DIE.

WILSON

YYYY

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