TNAG-2355-FCO40-3426-Visit-by-Douglas-Hurd--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Co-1991 — Page 212

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FM PEKING

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELNO 193

OF 220932Z FEBRUARY 91

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HKD 026/9

RECEIVED

a

(3)

071516

MDHIAN 4911

Sy Sweat filis

PERSONAL FOR HUGH DAVIES, HEAD OF FED.

YOUR TELNOS 19 AND 135.

POSSIBLE VISIT BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO CHINA.

1.

YOU WERE RIGHT ABOUT MY HESITATION OVER REPLYING TO YOUR TELNO 19. NOW, WITH AN INCREASED PROSPECT OF THE VISIT COMING OFF, I HAVE DONE SOME DEVILLING.

2 =

IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO FIT IN AN EXPEDITION TO TAISHAN

PROVIDED THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE IS ABLE TO COMMIT AT LEAST FOUR FULL DAYS, PREFERABLY FIVE, TO CHINA DURING THE PERIOD

2 9 APRIL. MUCH WILL DEPEND ON WHETHER THE 2ND AND THE 9TH

CAN BE INCLUDED IN THE VISIT TO CHINA AND HONG KONG AS FULL WORKING DAYS.

3. EXPEDITIONS FOR TAISHAN WOULD NORMALLY START AT JINAN, THE CAPITAL OF SHANDONG. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE AIR FLIGHTS FROM PEKING

TO JINAN THESE OCCUR AT AWKWARD TIMES. I HAVE DISCOVERED FROM

THE CAAC THAT THERE WILL BE DAILY FLIGHTS LEAVING PEKING AT 1730

ARRIVING AT 1900 (MU5148) AND 1940 ARRIVING AT 2110 (MU5124).

4. HOWEVER, THE NORMAL WAY TO GET TO JINAN IS BY TRAIN, OF WHICH THE BEST SEEMS TO BE TRAIN NUMBER 161 LEAVING PEKING AT 2110, ARRIVING AT TAI'AN AT 6 A M. TWO OTHER POSSIBLE

TWO OTHER POSSIBLE TRAINS TO JINAN CAND I AM NOT SURE WHETHER THEY WOULD GO ON TO TIA'AN) DEPART PEKING AT 1738 ARRIVING AT MIDNIGHT AT JINAN AND ANOTHER DEPARTINGAT 0058 HOURS ARRIVING AT JINAN AT 0758 HOURS. BUT LIKE

BRITISH

RAIL THESE TIMES COULD BE SUBJECT TO ALTERATION.

5. THE CAR JOURNEY FROM JINAN TO TAI'AN TAKES ABOUT TWO HOURS.

6"

I KNOW OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE TAKEN TRAIN NUMBER 161 OVERNIGHT TO TAI'AN AND WHO HAVE GOT TO THE TOP OF TAISHAN BY ABOUT 1100 A M..

THERE IS NOW A CABLE CAR FROM TAI'AN TO THE PEAK. IT IS ALSO

1

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