TNAG-2362-FCO40-3433-Visit-by-John-Major--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Hong-Kong--Septem-1991 — Page 86

CONFIDENTIAL

135

067376

MDHIAN 1412

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

TO DESKBY 05100OZ F C O

TELNO

1498

OF 050855Z SEPTEMBER 91

HKD $26

026/13

00199.

AND TO DESKBY 05100OZ HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG AND TO DESKBY 05100OZ B T C HONG KONG, THE' HAGUE

INFO IMMEDIATE EC POSTS, WASHINGTON, UKMIS NEW YORK, OTTAWA INFO IMMEDIATE CANBERRA, WELLINGTON, MOSCOW, TOKYO

INFO PRIORITY JAKARTA, SINGAPORE, BANGKOK, UKMIS GENEVA

HONG KONG FOR PRIME MINISTER'S PARTY.

THE HAGUE FOR GREENSTOCK.

YOUR TELNO 1062.

PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO CHINA, 2 - - 4 SEPTEMBER.

BRIEFING FOR EC AMBASSADORS.

SUMMARY.

I BRIEFED EC AMBASSADORS ON 5 SEPTEMBER. TEXT OF JOINT

COMMUNIQUE IN M IFT.

1.

DETAIL.

2.

I BEGAN BY SETTING THE VISIT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE AGREEMENT ON A NEW AIRPORT IN HONG KONG, FOLLOWING 18 MONTHS OF DIFFICULT NEGOTIATIONS. WITHOUT THE NEED FOR SIGNATURE OF THE MOU BY PRIME MINISTERS TO BRING IT INTO EFFECT IT WAS UNLIKELY THAT THE PRIME MINISTER WOULD HAVE VISITED PEKING SO SOON. WE NOW HOPED FOR BETTER AND MORE EFFECTIVE COOPERATION WITH THE CHINESE OVER THE REMAINING SIX YEARS OF BRITISH ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG.

3.

THE TIMETABLE FOR THE VISIT HAD BEEN CALL TIMES LOCAL):

2 SEPTEMBER:

ARRIVAL AT 2.30 P M FOLLOWED BY A REST AND AN ARRIVAL CEREMONY OUTSIDE THE GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE (I EXPLAINED IN ANSWER TO A QUESTION THAT THE PRIME MINISTER DID NOT LAY A WREATH) FOLLOWED BY AN INTRODUCTORY CALL ON LI PENG WHO ALSO GAVE DINNER.

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