TNAG-2044-FCO40-2914-Visits-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 67

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELNO 1399

CONFIDENTIAL

Enter (visits a chiste leader to HK),

HKBO26

6/21

OF 11083OZ OCTOBER 90

18 OCT 1990

AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

Du 15710

37

126521 MDHIAN 3580

TOP COPY Q DIST?

INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG, B T C HONG KONG

POSSIBLE VISIT TO HONG KONG BY VICE-FOREIGN MINISTER

TIAN ZENGPEI.

1.

AT A LUNCH GIVEN FOR ME BY HIM ON 11 OCTOBER, CHEN ZIYING, DIRECTOR OF THE HKMAO OF THE MFA, RECALLED MR. MAUDE'S INVITATION TO TIAN ZENGPEI TO VISIT HONG KONG (PARAS 15 AND 19 OF PEKING TELNO 1078). HE ASKED WHETHER I KNEW IF ANY PARTICULAR TIMINGS

WOULD BE CONVENIENT.

2. I SAID THAT IN ANY SUCH VISIT, IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT THAT TIAN SHOULD MEET SIR D. WILSON. I KNEW THAT THE GOVERNOR WOULD BE AWAY IN LONDON FROM 4-9 DECEMBER AND THAT HE ALREADY HAD A BUSY TENTATIVE SCHEDULE FOR OVERSEAS VISITS IN 1991. BUT I UNDERTOOK TO FIND OUT WHETHER THERE WERE SOME CONVENIENT TIMINGS AND TO GET BACK TO HIM ON THIS. (I REALISE OF COURSE THAT THE GOVERNOR WILL ALSO BE IN JAPAN AT END NOVEMBER).

3.

CHEN'S APPROACH WAS AN INFORMAL ONE BUT HE CLEARLY HOPES THAT WE CAN LET HIM HAVE SOME DATES WHICH HE COULD PUT TO HIS MINISTER. GRATEFUL TO KNOW THE TERMS IN WHICH I SHOULD RESPOND.

4.

WE HAVE STILL, OF COURSE, TO ADDRESS THE SEPARATE QUESTION OF MR. MAUDE'S INVITATION TO TIAN TO VISIT LONDON AT A CONVENIENT

TIME.

5. SEEN FROM HERE, TIAN'S INTEREST IN VISITING HONG KONG IS ENCOURAGING. BUT I TOLD CHEN THAT THERE WOULD BE LITTLE SATISFACTION FROM A VISIT UNLESS TIAN COULD ARRIVE ARMED WITH SOME SPECIFIC PIECE OF GOOD NEWS, E.G. SUPPORT FOR PADS.

DONALD.

YYYY

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