CONFIDENTIAL
FM ROME
TELNO 431
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
OF 04140OZ JULY 91
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 18216
RECEIVED IN
08 JUL 1991
SK OF CE
INDEX
4
037412
MDHIAN 4112
TOP COPY Q DIST? ́
INFO IMMEDIATE OTHER EC POSTS, WASHINGTON, MOSCOW INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS NEW YORK, PEKING, HONG KONG INFO IMMEDIATE BTC HONG KONG
YOUR TELNO 219 TO ATHENS: CHINA/HONG KONG: AIRPORT PROJECT AND VISIT OF PRIME MINISTER TO CHINA
SUMMARY
1. ITALIAN REACTION EXTREMELY FAVOURABLE.
DETAIL
2. THE MINISTER CONTACTED THE HEAD OF THE MFA ASIA DIVISION LAST NIGHT AND GAVE HIM ADVANCE NOTICE OF TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE AGREEMENT REACHED WITH THE CHINESE ON THE AIRPORT PROJECT. FERRI'S IMMEDIATE REACTION WAS THAT THIS WAS SPLENDID NEWS WHICH WOULD BE
WELL RECEIVED BY HIS MINISTERS. HE DESCRIBED THE AGREEMENT AS A
'VERY VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION' TO THE PROCESS OF PUTTING THE WEST'S RELATIONS WITH CHINA ON A MORE NORMAL FOOTING. IN THAT CONTEXT, EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN HONG KONG BETWEEN NOW AND 1997 WAS OF
PARTICULAR SIGNIFICANCE.
3. FERRI REACTED EVEN MORE ENTHUSIASTICALLY TO THE NEWS THAT THE PRIME MINISTER WOULD VISIT CHINA SOON TO SIGN THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING. FAR FROM REGARDING THIS MOVE AS IN ANY WAY PREMATURE OR AT VARIANCE WITH THE GENERAL COMMUNITY VIEW (PARA 3 OF TUR), FERRI SAID THAT THIS WAS PRECISELY THE RIGHT TIME TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF HIGH-LEVEL CONTACT WITH THE CHINESE. HENCE ANDREOTTI'S PLAN TO VISIT CHINA IN THE AUTUMN. FERRI SAID THAT THE LIKELY TIMING WOULD BE MID-SEPTEMBER, BUT NO DECISION COULD BE TAKEN UNTIL PLANS WERE FIRM FOR ANDREOTTI'S SEPARATE VISIT TO IRAN AT AROUND THAT TIME. THE ITALIANS WOULD NOTIFY EC PARTNERS WHEN DATES FOR THE CHINA VISIT WERE FIXED.
4. FINALLY, FERRI EXPRESSED APPRECIATION THAT WE HAD GIVEN HIM ADVANCE NOTICE OF TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT. HE SAID THIS GAVE HIM A WELCOME OPPORTUNITY TO TRY AND RE-ENGAGE DE MICHELIS' ATTENTION TO ASIAN CAS DISTINCT FROM YUGOSLAVIAN) AFFAIRS.
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