TNAG-2355-FCO40-3426-Visit-by-Douglas-Hurd--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Co-1991 — Page 144

CONFIDENTIAL

FM BTC HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 93

OF 18090OZ MARCH 91

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

173601

MDHIAN 8418

SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT

1. THE BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAVE APPROACHED ME TO ASK WHETHER IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S PROGRAMME, EITHER BY HIS BEING THEIR GUEST OF HONOUR AT A LUNCHEON MEETING WHICH WOULD PROVIDE AN AUDIENCE OF SOME 200 OR 300 AND WHERE A SPEECH WOULD BE REQUIRED, OR BY HOSTING A DRINKS RECEPTION FOR WHICH THERE WOULD BE NO FORMAL SPEECH REQUIREMENT BUT WHERE A FEW WORDS MIGHT BE REQUIRED IN RESPONSE TO A FEW WORDS OF WELCOME FROM THE CHAIRMAN.

2. I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS WITH THE GOVERNOR WHO THINKS THAT IN VIEW OF THE TIGHTNESS OF THE PROGRAMME IN HONG KONG AND THE SHORT TIME AVAILABLE ON EACH VISIT, A SECOND COMMERCIAL EVENT, ADDITIONAL TO THE LUNCH PROPOSED FOR 9 APRIL, WOULD BE A LITTLE EXCESSIVE IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES. ALSO THAT A SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT DID NOT FORM PART OF THE PLANS FOR THIS VISIT. WE AGREED THEREFORE THAT THE CHAMBER'S INTEREST COULD BEST BE COVERED BY THE INCLUSION OF ITS ACTING CHAIRMAN (THE CHAIRMAN WILL BE IN THE UK AT THE TIME) AND PERHAPS ONE OR TWO OTHER OFFICE HOLDERS IN MY LUNCH.

3. GRATEFUL FOR CONFIRMATION THAT THIS IS ACCEPTABLE. I WOULD THEN EXPLAIN TO THE CHAMBER THAT UNFORTUNATELY ON THIS OCCASION TIME WILL NOT PERMIT THE CHAMBER THEIR SEPARATE FUNCTION BUT THAT WE HOPE THEIR INTERESTS MIGHT BE MET BY THE INCLUSION OF THEIR REPRESENTATIVES IN THE LUNCH.

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CONFIDENTIAL