TNAG-2360-FCO40-3431-Visit-by-John-Major--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Hong-Kong--Septem-1991 — Page 107

CONFIDENTIAL

137731 MDHI'N 7312

RELATIONS AND ON THE INTERNATIONAL SITUATION''

I SAID WE MIGHT WANT TO PROPOSE SOMETHING A BIT SHORTER, THOUGH I WAS SURE THAT NEWS DEPARTMENT WOULD DRAW ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT THE AIRPORT MOU WOULD BE SIGNED DURING THE VISIT.

5. I REMINDED SONG THAT YOU WOULD BE ACCOMPANYING THE PRIME MINISTER AND SAID I ASSUMED THAT FOREIGN MINISTER QIAN QICHEN WOULD BE IN PEKING DURING THE VISIT. THOUGH I HAD NOT YET RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS, I THOUGHT IT LIKELY THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT TO HAVE SEPARATE DISCUSSIONS WITH QIAN. SONG DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE CONSIDERED THIS POINT, BUT THOUGHT THAT QIAN WOULD BE IN PEKING IN EARLY SEPTEMBER. I SAID I VERY MUCH HOPED HE WOULD BE.

BRITISH PRACTICE WAS DIFFERENT FROM CHINESE PRACTICE IN THAT THE FOREIGN SECRETARY DID NOT ACCOMPANY THE PRIME MINISTER ON TRIPS ABROAD AS A MATTER OF COURSE. YOU WOULD BE DOING SO EXCEPTIONALLY

IN THE CASE OF THE VISIT TO CHINA.

6.

I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO LAY DOWN A MARKER THAT WE WOULD WANT TO SEND OUT AN ADVANCE PARTY TO GO OVER THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS PROBABLY IN THE MIDDLE OF AUGUST (YOUR TELNO 827).

7. I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR INSTRUCTIONS DESKBY 312330Z ON THE TIMING AND CONTENT OF AN ANNOUNCEMENT. I ASSUME WE WILL WANT TO LIMIT OUR ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE DATES, AND TO THE FACT THAT YOU WILL BE ACCOMPANYING THE PRIME MINISTER BUT I DO NOT THINK IT WOULD MATTER IF THE CHINESE ADDED THEIR POINTS ABOUT SIGNATURE OF THE MOU AND DISCUSSIONS ON INTERNATIONAL TOPICS IN THEIR

OWN ANNOUNCEMENT.

8. IT WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL TO HAVE EARLY INSTRUCTIONS ON THE PROGRAMME AND TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION. I HOPE THAT THESE INSTRUCTIONS WILL COVER THE QUESTION OF INSPECTION OF AN HONOUR GUARD (MY TELNO 1181) THOUGH I WOULD LIKE SOME DISCRETION AS TO WHEN I RAISE THIS.

MCLAREN.

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