TNAG-2507-FCO40-3648-Official-visits-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1992 — Page 19

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO TELELETTER FCO

TELELETTER PA CR 1/4/5701/86

OF 130531Z JULY 92

CONFIDENTIAL

нас 026/5

32

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MDTTAN 2589

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14/700 W. Copy Mr Hvan

M. Davies

FED

AND TO TELELETTER PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

Mr Wye,

FROM: WILLIAM EHRMAN, POLITICAL ADVISER, HONG KONG FOR: PETER RICKETTS ESQ., HEAD HKD, FCO COPIED TO: DAVID COATES ESQ., BE PEKING

ALAN PAUL ESQ., UKREP JLG HONG KONG

SENIOR CHINESE VISITORS TO HONG KONG

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M

RAD

2. M.Sox

My Sox 31~ M Bunké 134

Ja

N

VICE-PREMIER TIAN JIYUN HAS POLITELY DECLINED THE GOVERNOR'S

INVITATION TO MEET HIM WHEN HE PASSES THROUGH HONG KONG ON THE

WEEKEND OF 18 JULY. FOREIGN MINISTER QIAN QICHEN IS TRANSITING

HONG KONG BRIEFLY ON 17 AND 23 JULY BUT NCNA HAVE PRE-EMPTIVELY

SAID THAT HE WILL NOT ON THIS OCCASION HAVE TIME FOR MEETINGS. THE GOVERNOR OF JIANGSU WILL BE IN HONG KONG FOR A NUMBER OF DAYS

AROUND 18 JULY BUT NCNA HAVE AGAIN TOLD US PRE-EMPTIVELY THAT HE

WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MEET WITH HKG OFFICIALS. THE MAYOR OF SHENZHEN, WHO IS IN HONG KONG AT THE MOMENT, HAS ALREADY TOLD THE PRESS THAT HE WILL BE HOLDING NO MEETINGS WITH GOVERNMENT

OFFICIALS.

2. IT SEEMS VERY CLEAR FROM THIS THAT ALL SENIOR CHINESE VISITORS

ARE BARRED FROM MEETING THE GOVERNOR FOR THE TIME-BEING. WE WOULD

NORMALLY HAVE EXPECTED A GOVERNOR OF A CHINESE PROVINCE AT LEAST TO BE ABLE TO PAY A CALL (THE GOVERNOR OF JIANGSU WAS IN HONG

KONG IN JANUARY 1991 AND CALLED ON LORD WILSON THEN). THE REASON FOR THIS DECISION IS ALMOST CERTAINLY THAT THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT WANTS THE FIRST OFFICIAL MEETINGS WITH THE GOVERNOR TO BE WITH THOSE WHO HANDLE HONG KONG AFFAIRS, I.E. ZHOU NAN HERE AND THEN LU PING. ZHOU NAN WAS TO HAVE PAID HIS INITIAL CALL ON THE GOVERNOR ON 16 JULY, BUT WE HAVE JUST LEARNED THAT HE HAS BEEN KEPT IN HOSPITAL IN PEKING AND IS UNLIKELY TO RETURN TO HONG KONG

UNTIL EARLY AUGUST.

SIGNED: W G EHRMAN (POLITICAL ADVISER)

YYYY

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