TNAG-2355-FCO40-3426-Visit-by-Douglas-Hurd--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Co-1991 — Page 208

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CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TELNO 181

OF 071015Z MARCH 91

CONFIDENTIAL

1 HKD 026/9

RECE

Pa

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on

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MDHOAN 9343

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INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG

PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR FROM HEAD OF FED

HONG KONG: PERSONAL FOR ACTING GOVERNOR

FCO TELNO 441:

POSSIBLE VISIT BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE

AS YOU WILL GATHER FROM TUR (NOT CLEARED WITH US), WE HOPE TO LET YOU HAVE CONFIRMATION OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S DECISION

VERY SOON.

1.

2.

MEANWHILE YOU MAY BE WONDERING WHY THE TRAVEL PLANS SET OUT IN TUR DO NOT TAKE ACCOUNT OF YOUR RECOMMENDATION THAT THE

SECRETARY OF STATE SHOULD GO TO CHINA BEFORE HONG KONG. THIS WOULD BE OUR PREFERENCE TOO FOR ALL THE REASONS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED IN THE PAST. HOWEVER, LOOKING AT THE BALANCE OF THE VISIT AND THE TIME AVAILABLE, WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S WISH TO HAVE A COUPLE OF DAYS AWAY FROM PEKING (PROBABLY TAISHAN), THIS WOULD BEST BE DONE OVER THE CHINGMING WEEKEND. THE ALTERNATIVE, VISITING PEKING AND TAISHAN FIRST. WOULD BRING THE HONG KONG VISIT SLAP INTO THE CHINGMING WEEKEND, WHICH IS CLEARLY UNWORKABLE.

HURD

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

21

LIMITED

FED

HKD

DISTRIBUTION

21

MR MCLAREN

MR BURNS

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