TNAG-2351-FCO40-3421-Visits-by-Lord-Caithness--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and--1991 — Page 28

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1767

107141

CONFIDENTIAL

HKD 026/1

*CEIVER

-

4 JUN 199

MDHIAN 9402

TOP COF Q DIST?

124

DESK OFFICE

OF 03111OZ JUNE 91

INDEX

123

PA

YRTELNO 1015 LORD CAITHNESS'S VISIT 40-HONG KONG

1.

MIPT CONTAINS A DRAFT OUTLINE PROGRAMME FOR LORD CAITHNESS'S VISIT TO HONG KONG. GRATEFUL FOR COMMENTS, PARTICULARLY ON THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

(A) LORD CAITHNESS IS DUE TO ARRIVE AT A TIME WHEN I HAVE AGREED

TO TAKE A GURKHA PARADE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES. I WOULD OF COURSE USUALLY WISH TO MEET HIM AT THE AIRPORT. IS THERE ANY POSSIBILITY OF HIM COMING ON A DIFFERENT FLIGHT, FOR EXAMPLE CX250, WHICH WOULD ARRIVE AT 1700 ON SUNDAY, 21 JULY? THIS WOULD ALSO GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO GET OVER JET-LAG BEFORE HIS PROGRAMME BEGINS.

(B) WE HAVE INCLUDED A COMMUNITY LUNCH ON 23 JULY, AT WHICH LORD CAITHNESS COULD ANSWER QUESTIONS. I SUGGEST THAT HE SHOULD BEGIN WITH A SHORT STATEMENT. QUESTIONS TAKEN COLD WOULD BE AWKWARD. WE WILL HAVE AN INTERPRETER ON HAND.

(C) SEK HONG AND WONGTAISIN DISTRICT HAVE BEEN CHOSEN BECAUSE LORD CAITHNESS HAS NOT VISITED THEM BEFORE. INDEED, ON ALL HIS PREVIOUS VISITS HE HAS BEEN TO A NEW TERRITORIES DISTRICT. IT WOULD MAKE SENSE THIS TIME TO VISIT AN URBAN ONE.

(D) IT IS DIFFICULT TO FIT IN DINNER WITH OMELCO INTO THE PROGRAMME. IT IS LIKELY THAT SWIRES WILL LAY ON A DINNER FOR THE PARTICIPANTS AT THE HEADS OF MISSION CONFERENCE ON 24 JULY. I AM GIVING A FAREWELL DINNER FOR THE FS ON 25 JULY, AT WHICH MANY MEMBERS OF OMELCO ARE LIKELY TO BE PRESENT. BUT I THINK A LUNCH WILL BE AN ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVE. THERE MAY WELL BE ONLY A SMALL NUMBER OF OMELCO MEMBERS IN HONG KONG IN LATE JULY AS THE LEGCO SESSION WILL BY THEN HAVE ENDED.

(E) WE HAVE LEFT TIME ON 26 JULY FOR A PRESS CONFERENCE OR MEDIA CONFERENCE, WHICHEVER LORD CAITHNESS PREFERS.

WILSON