RESTRICTED
FM PEKING
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 7 49
OF 201044Z MAY 91
RESTRICTED
Mr Seaton FED
we spoke. HKCO10/ RM2S
2015.
(27)
TOP COPY Q DIST?
043256 MDLIAN 2215
NEW CHINESE AMBASSADOR
1.
I GAVE MA YUZHEN AND MME ZOU JICHUN DINNER ON 17 MAY TO MARK HIS IMMINENT DEPARTURE FOR BRITAIN. THE COMMERCIAL AND CULTURAL COUNSELLORS AND HEAD OF CHANCERY WERE ALSO PRESENT TOGETHER WITH MEMBERS OF WESTERN EUROPEAN DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING MME ZHANG YOUYUN.
2. MA WAS IN CONFIDENT MOOD AND LOOKING FORWARD TO HIS NEW POST. HIS ENGLISH WAS GOOD AND HE WILL PROBABLY BE A RELAXED PERFORMER WITH BOTH THE BRITISH PRESS AND OTHER CONTACTS. OF COURSE AN EX DIRECTOR OF THE MFA'S INFORMATION DEPARTMENT. INSTRUCTED IN FCO TELNO 536 I MADE THE POINT ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY OF ARGUING EFFECTIVELY IN FAVOUR OF EXTENSION OF MEN STATUS FOR CHINA AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF SINO-BRITISH DISAGREEMENT OVER
HONG KONG ISSUES.
3.
I ALSO DREW TO MA'S ATTENTION THE INTEREST OF THE CBTG IN INVITING HIM TO SPEAK AT THEIR MEETING ON 6 JUNE. MA IS INTERESTED IN PRINCIPLE BUT CONCERNED THAT HE MIGHT NOT BE FAMILIAR ENOUGH WITH BRITAIN TO PERFORM EFFECTIVELY. HE ALSO MENTIONED THAT HE MIGHT NOT HAVE PRESENTED HIS CREDENTIALS IN TIME FOR THE MEETING. HE ASKED IF WE COULD PROVIDE SPECIFIC DETAILS TO WESTERN EUROPEAN DEPARTMENT WHICH WE SHALL DO.
4.
GIVEN THE WIDTH OF THE TABLE MOST OF MY CONVERSATION WAS EITHER WITH MME ZOU OR ZHANG YOUYUN. MME ZOU IS A CHARMING LADY WHO STUDIED CHEMISTRY AT UNIVERSITY AND WORKED IN A PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH LABORATORY FOR SOME TIME. HER FATHER STUDIED ECONOMICS BUT SPENT MUCH OF HIS PROFESSIONAL LIFE TEACHING ENGLISH IN TIANJIN, THE KAILUAN COALFIELDS OR OTHER AREAS OF HEBEI. MME ZOU SEES HER DUTIES IN LONDON IN CLASSIC TERMS, ACCOMPANYING HER HUSBAND WHERE NECESSARY ON REPRESENTATIONAL OCCASIONS AND BEING ACTIVE AMONG CHINESE LADIES IN THE EMBASSY. SHE SPEAKS CAREFUL AND RATHER SLOW ENGLISH. IMPRESSION IS THAT SHE NEVER QUITE GOT USED TO THE FREEWHEELING LIFESTYLE OF CALIFORNIA. BUT SHE IS ALSO A LITTLE APPREHENSIVE
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