TNAG-2355-FCO40-3426-Visit-by-Douglas-Hurd--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Co-1991 — Page 200

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FM PEKING

TO DESKBY 12093OZ F C O

TELNO 272

OF 120811Z MARCH 91

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

HKD 026

13

153376

MDHIAN 7509

FOR HEAD OF FED

HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR ACTING GOVERNOR

YRTELNO 192: SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO CHINA

le

WJ 12/3

1. I AM CONCERNED THAT ONLY ONE AND A HALF DAYS IN PEKING, PLUS AN ODD HALF DAY ON 8 APRIL, WILL NOT ALLOW SUFFICIENT TIME FOR A WORTHWHILE VISIT. THE LESS TIME THE SECRETARY OF STATE IS IN PEKING, THE LESS LIKELY HE IS TO MEET SENIOR LEADERS. THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF THE PROGRAMME, AS INDENTIFIED IN TUR, WOULD BE TWO SUBSTANTIAL SESSIONS WITH QIAN QICHEN, A MEETING WITH LU PING AND A CALL ON LI PENG. THAT ALONE WOULD ALL BUT EXHAUST THE TIME ALLOTTED IN THE ITINERARY IN TUR.

2. IN VIEW OF THIS, AND IF THE SECRETARY OF STATE STILL WISHES TO VISIT TAISHAN, I WONDER IF IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE SPENDS THE WHOLE OF 3 APRIL IN HONG KONG. THE EXTRA DAY IN PEKING IF HE TRAVELLED HERE ON 3 APRIL WOULD GREAT INCREASE THE PROSPECTS FOR MEETINGS WITH SENIOR CHINESE LEADERS. I PRESUME THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE WOULD PLAN TO BRIEF THE GOVERNOR AND EXCO ON THE OUTCOME OF HIS VISIT WHEN HE PASSES THROUGH HONG KONG ON 8 APRIL.

3. WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AGAIN AT ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAISHAN INTO THE VISIT. UNTIL WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT THE VISIT WILL GO AHEAD WE WILL NOT KNOW TO WHAT EXTENT THE CHINESE WOULD BE WILLING TO TAKE SPECIAL MEASURES TO HELP, ALTHOUGH I WOULD EXPECT THEM TO DO THEIR BEST. ACCORDING TO CAAC WE COULD CHARTER A BAE 146 FROM PEKING ΤΟ INAN FOR FEC 35,000 (POUNDS STERLING APPROX 3,500). CAAC SAY THAT WE COULD NOT/NOT CHARLER AN AIRCRAFT FROM JINAN TO HONG KONG BECAUSE JINAN HAS NO/NO FACILITIES FOR PROCESSING EXIT DOCUMENTS (IN FACT WE SUSPECT THAT THE MFA WOULD FIND A WAY ROUND THIS - NATURALLY WE HAVE NOT TOLD CAAC WHY WE ARE INTERESTED IN THE CHARTER). WE COULD CHARTER AN AIRCRAFT FROM JINAN TO GUANGZHOU. WE ARE CURRENTLY PURSUING WITH CAAC THE COST OF A BAE 146 CHARTER

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