TNAG-2353-FCO40-3423-Visits-by-Lord-Caithness--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and--1991 — Page 193

RESTRICTED

HKD 026/10

Pa

RESTRICTED

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TELNO 1350

OF 191745Z NOVEMBER 91

AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG

INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG

244

004403 MDHOAN 5105

Lard a file

on

гу.

20/1

LORD CAITHNESS'S VISIT TO CHINA AND HONG KONG:

PRESS

1. NEWS DEPARTMENT ARE TO ANNOUNCE LORD CAITHNESS'S VISIT AT THE 21 NOVEMBER NEWS CONFERENCE. TEXT OF PROPOSED STATEMENT AND BACKGROUND (TO BE ISSUED), AND OF MATERIAL TO BE DRAWN ON IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS AS GIVEN BELOW. GRATEFUL FOR COMMENTS DESKBY 2009OOZ. DO YOU SEE ANY DIFFICULTIES OVER MAINTAINING THE SPECIFIC CALLS IN THE BACKGROUND, GIVEN THAT THESE ARE STILL SUBJECT TO THAT CONFIRMATION? YOU WILL DOUBTLESS ALSO WISH TO INFORM THE MFA OF OUR INTENTION TO ISSUE A SHORT FACTUAL STATEMENT ON THE VISIT.

(I) STATEMENT

LORD CAITHNESS IS TO PAY A WORKING VISIT TO CHINA AND HONG KONG FROM 27 NOVEMBER TO 7 DECEMBER.

(II)

BACKGROUND

LORD CAITHNESS IS TO VISIT CHINA AT THE INVITATION OF VICE FOREIGN MINISTER TIAN ZENGPEI, WHO VISITED LONDON FOR TALKS WITH LORD CAITHNESS IN NOVEMBER 1990. THIS WILL BE LORD CAITHNESS'S FIRST VISIT TO CHINA. HE WILL VISIT PEKING, XIAN, SHANGHAI, CANTON AND SHENZHEN, BEFORE PROCEEDING TO HONG KONG.

IN PEKING, BESIDES HOLDING TALKS WITH VICE-FOREIGN MINISTER TIAN, LORD CAITHNESS EXPECTS TO MEET VICE-PREMIER ZOU JIAHUA, FOREIGN MINISTER QIAN QICHEN, AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE STATE COUNCIL HONG KONG AND MACAU OFFICE LU PING.

THIS WILL BE LORD CAITHNESS' FOURTH VISIT TO HONG KONG. IT WILL CONTINUE THE PATTERN OF REGULAR SIX MONTHLY VISITS TO THE TERRITORY.

DURING HIS STAY LORD CAITHNESS WILL HOLD DISCUSSIONS WITH THE

1

PAGE

RESTRICTED