TNAG-2353-FCO40-3423-Visits-by-Lord-Caithness--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and--1991 — Page 236

RESTRICTED

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TELNO

1315

OF 07181OZ NOVEMBER 91

RESTRICTED

HKD #26/1 pa man file

ра

AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG

INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG

INFO ROUTINE ACTOR

INFO SAVING SHANGHAI

224

145131

MDHOAN 4343

H8/0

FROM FED

YOUR TELNO 1833: VISIT BY LORD CAITHNESS

1. A COMPLICATION HAS ARISEN WHICH AFFECTS THE TIMING OF THE VISIT. LORD CAITHNESS WILL HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS DEBATE ON MAASTRICHT WHICH HAS NOW BEEN SET FOR 25 NOVEMBER. HE WILL THEREFORE HAVE TO DELAY HIS DEPARTURE UNTIL 26 NOVEMBER, WITH KNOCK-ON EFFECTS FOR HIS PROGRAMME. IDEALLY HE WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND HIS VISIT BY TWENTY-FOUR HOURS, OR POSSIBLY A LITTLE LONGER AT THE OTHER END, BUT HE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CLEAR THIS WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE UNTIL EARLY NEXT WEEK. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL THEREFORE IN THE MEANTIME FOR YOUR COMMENTS ON

TWO ALTERNATIVE SCENARIOS AS FOLLOWS.

SCENARIO A:

27 -29 NOVEMBER : PEKING

30

2

L

DECEMBER : XIAN

M

1

-

3

DECEMBER:

SHANGHAI

4/5/6

DECEMBER : CANTON, SHENZHEN

6

-

7 DECEMBER : HONG KONG

SCENARIO B:

27

29 NOVEMBER : PEKING

30 NOVEMBER:

SHANGHAI

1 DECEMBER :

SIGHTSEEING (? SUZHOU)

2.

2/3/4 DECEMBER: CANTON, SHENZHEN

4 DECEMBER : HONG KONG

UNDER SCENARIO A THE ITINERARY WOULD INCLUDE ALL THE PLACES ORIGINALLY PLANNED BUT WITH XIAN AND SHANGHAI REVERSED AND A LATER ARRIVAL IN HONG KONG AND A LONGER STAY THERE. IF THIS WERE

1

PAGE

RESTRICTED