TNAG-2619-FCO40-3810-Official-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1992 — Page 129

CONFIDENTIAL

144234

MDHIAN 9226

CONFIDENTIAL

FM DTI

TO IMMEDIATE PEKING TELNO INTRA 125

OF 24160OZ JUNE 92

AND TO IMMEDIATE BTC HONG KONG

NT

YOUR INTRA 121: MR NEEDHAM'S VISIT

ра

25/0 سال 19

1 WE CAN CONFIRM THAT MR NEEDHAM WILL VISIT HONG KONG AND CHINA 23-30 JULY. GRATEFUL IF FORMAL INVITATIONS COULD BE ARRANGED. THE MINISTER WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY MURRAY OT2/2D AND JOHN WARREN, PRIVATE SECRETARY.

2 THE ITINERARY FOR THE CHINA LEG SET OUT IN PARA 4 OF YOUR INTRA 117 IS FINE. HOWEVER, AS OUR INTRA 155 POINTED OUT, IT COULD BE DIFFICULT TO DISSUADE THE MINISTER FROM RESPONDING POSITIVELY TO A PROPOSAL FROM FUNG BRACKET HKTDC BRACKET BRACKET WITH WHOM HE GOT ON VERY WELL BRACKET THAT HE SHOULD VISIT SOUTH CHINA. NOTWITHSTANDING YOUR CAVEATS ABOUT A VISIT TO GUANGDONG AT THIS TIME WHICH WE FULLY RECOGNISE, MIGHT THIS BE OVERCOME BY A SHORT VISIT TO, SAY, SHENZHEN? THIS SHOULD AVOID ANY DISCUSSION OF THE GUANGZHOU METRO PROJECT AND WOULD ENABLE MR NEEDHAM TO SEE SOMETHING OF CHINA'S DEVELOPING RETAIL SECTOR IN WHICH HE HAS TAKEN A KEEN INTEREST.

3 THIS WOULD REQUIRE SOME COMPRESSION OF THE CURRENT PROGRAMME. MIGHT IT BE POSSIBLE TO SPEND 28 JULY ALONE IN TIANJIN: TRAVEL TO SHANGHAI THAT EVENING OR EARLY ON 29 JULY AND THEN FROM SHANGHAI TO HONG KONG EARLY ON 30 JULY TO ALLOW FOR A VISIT TO SHENZHEN THAT DAY FOLLOWED BY LATE EVENING DEPARTURE FROM HONG KONG? GRATEFUL FOR ADVICE. IF, ALTERNATIVELY, YOU WOULD WISH US TO DISSUADE THE MINISTER FROM SPENDING ANY TIME IN SOUTH CHINA, WE SHALL ENDEAVOUR TO DO SO.

4

GRATEFUL IF, ONCE ITINERARY IS FINALISED, ALL INTERNAL FLIGHTS COULD BE BOOKED LOCALLY AND CHARGED TO THE DEPARTMENT.

YYYY

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2 5 JUN 1992