TNAG-2617-FCO40-3808-Visit-by-Lord-Caithness--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and-C-1992 — Page 189

CONFIDENTIAL

HKD 026/3

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 19

OF 03103OZ JANUARY 91

INFO PRIORITY BTC HONG KONG

Tir 1952

ZB.

3

150270

MDHIAN 7899

M Moms 6/1

o Shoe Miss Saundry

ли

~Ricky

Mr Ricketts of

Hi

PERSONAL FOR PS/LORD CAITHNESS FROM GOVERNOR.

* NR

YOUR TELNO 2173: LORD CAITHNESS'S TRANSIT THROUGH HONG KONG JANUARY.

7/8

1. WITH THE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE CHANGE OF GOVERNORS DURING 1992, I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA IF LORD CAITHNESS COULD FINED TIME FOR A SHORT MEETING WITH LYDIA DUNN DURING HIS BRIEF STOP-OVER HERE. SHE COULD BRING HIM UP TO DATE ON HER OWN VIEWS AND LOCAL REACTIONS.

2. LORD CAITHNESS IS SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE IN HONG KONG AT 1800 ON 7 JANUARY. HE WILL THEREFORE REACH GOVERNMENT HOUSE AT ABOUT 1830. WE HAVE, AS YOU KNOW, ARRANGED FOR HIM TO HAVE A DRINK WITH PETER HEAP AT 1900. ONE OPTION WOULD BE TO HAVE A BRIEF MEETING

WITH LADY DUNN AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE AT ABOUT 1945-2015, BEFORE WE GO OUT TO DINNER. GRATEFUL TO KNOW IF LORD CAITHNESS WOULD LIKE

TO DO THIS.

3. IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE, IT MIGHT BE SENSIBLE TO HAVE A DEFENSIVE LINE READY IN CASE LORD CAITHNESS'S TRANSIT THROUGH

HONG KONG GETS PICKED UP BY THE MEDIA. GRATEFUL TO KNOW IF YOU WOULD BE CONTENT FOR US TO ISSUE SOMETHING ON THE FOLLOWING LINES

IN RESPONSE TO ANY QUESTIONS:-

''LORD CAITHNESS, THE MINISTER OF STATE AT THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE, SPENT THE NIGHT OF 7/8 JANUARY IN HONG KONG ON HIS WAY TO AN OFFICIAL VISIT TO VIETNAM. HE DID NOT HAVE ANY

OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS IN HONG KONG.

LORD CAITHNESS INTENDS TO MAKE HIS NEXT OFFICIAL VISIT TO HONG KONG IN FEBRUARY. DETAILS OF THIS WILL BE ANNOUNCED NEARER THE TIME.

WILSON

1

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CONFIDENTIAL