TNAG-2355-FCO40-3426-Visit-by-Douglas-Hurd--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Co-1991 — Page 161

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167001

MDHIAN 8174

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

TO DESKBY 15103OZ F C O

TELNO 323

OF 150905Z MARCH 91

HKD 026/9

ile

MA 1/2.

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG, UKREP 'JLG HONG KONG

HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR

BTC HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR HEAP UKREP JLG PERSONAL FOR GALSWORTHY

SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO CHINA

1. THE HEAD OF WEST EUROPEAN DEPARTMENT TELEPHONED ME THIS AFTERNOON. HE REFERRED TO HIS CONVERSATION WITH MR COATES ON 13 MARCH PROPOSING DATES FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT AND SAID

THAT HIS DEPARTMENT WAS NOW MAKING PREPARATIONS FOR THIS VISIT. AS I KNEW, THERE WERE '' CERTAIN PROCEDURES'' TO BE GONE THROUGH BEFORE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT COULD GIVE AN ANSWER BUT HE WISHED THE FOREIGN OFFICE TO KNOW HIS PERSONAL VIEW'' THAT THERE

SHOULD BE NO PROBLEM ABOUT A VISIT ON THE DATES PROPOSED.

2. HE ALSO WENT ON TO SAY THAT IN HIS VIEW THERE SHOULD BE NO

DIFFICULTY OF STATE STAYING WITH ME WHEN HE WAS IN PEKING.

3. HE ALSO APOLOGISED FOR THE FACT THAT HE WAS NOT IN A POSITION

TO GIVE A FORMAL ANSWER BUT HE HOPED THIS WOULD BE FORTHCOMING SOON. WHEN THE GOVERNMENT HAD OFFICIALLY TAKEN ITS DECISION, THE PROTOCOL DEPARTMENT OF THE MFA WILL GET IN TOUCH WITH US TO

HANDLE THE DETAILS OF THE VISIT.

4.

SO FAR SO GOOD. BUT SONG MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE WAS ONLY SPEAKING FOR THE WEST EUROPEAN DEPARTMENT AND NOT FOR THE MFA AS A WHOLE. I GOT HIM, HOWEVER, TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT QIAN QICHEN WOULD BE IN TOWN DURING THE DATES WE HAD PROPOSED.

5.

WE ARE FACING ENQUIRIES FROM DIPLOMATIC COLLEAGUES AND JOURNALISTS. IT IS CLEAR THAT THE MFA ARE MENTIONING THE VISIT WITH DATES TO CERTAIN OTHER MISSIONS. MOST JOURNALISTS REFER TO REPORTS OUT OF HONG KONG. GRATEFUL FOR GUIDANCE ON LINE TO TAKE.

DONALD

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