TNAG-2715-FCO40-3921-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1993 — Page 214

RESTRICTED

HKB 011/8

RESTRICTED

FM PEKING

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO

OF 030918Z AUGUST 93

1073

INFO PRIORITY SHANGHAI

REC

ISTRY

1303

PA

REGISTRY Action Taken

ATTC

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG, ATTC TAIPEI

p? FAZ

125675 MDHIAN 0884

58

YOUR TELNOS 484 AND 495:

VISIT BY FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

1. NOW THAT THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE'S PLANS TO VISIT CHINA ARE FIRM, THE FIRST PRIORITY IS TO SEE WHETHER THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE OF THE NPC ARE PREPARED TO ACT AS THEIR HOSTS AND, IF SO, WHETHER THE FAC'S PROPOSED DATES AND ITINERARY ARE ACCEPTABLE TO THEM. (IN OUR TELNO 582 OF 27 APRIL WE POINTED OUT THAT THE SOONER WE COULD APPROACH THEM THE BETTER.) WE HAVE ASKED FOR A CALL FOR THIS PURPOSE, BUT BEFORE WE SEE THEM IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW WHETHER THE FAC HAVE ALREADY SAID ANYTHING TO THE CHINESE EMBASSY IN LONDON ABOUT THEIR PROPOSED VISIT: IS THIS CLEAR FROM YOUR FILES ?

2. YOUR TELNO 245 OF 22 APRIL SAID THAT THE COMMITTEE WISHED TO ENQUIRE INTO POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UK AND CHINA IN THE PERIOD UP TO AND BEYOND 1997. FROM THEIR PROGRAMME SUGGESTIONS THEY ALSO SEEM TO BE INTERESTED IN INTERNAL CHINESE DEVELOPMENTS - ECONOMIC, FINANCIAL AND LEGAL - AND DEFENCE POLICY. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE WE SHOULD TELL THE CHINESE ABOUT THEIR OBJECTIVES ?

3.

WE TAKE IT FROM THE PAPERS FAXED TO US THAT MR HOWELL WILL LEAD THE PARTY AND THAT THERE WILL BE EIGHT OTHER MEMBERS, OR NINE IF MR ROWLANDS CONFIRMS HIS PARTICIPATION, PLUS TWO ASSISTANTS, IE A POSSIBLE TOTAL OF 12.

4.

IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE CHINESE MAY OFFER TO MEET THE PARTY'S ACCOMMODATION AND INTERNAL TRANSPORT COSTS. IF THEY DO AND THE FAC ACCEPT, IT WILL BE HARD TO AVOID OUR DOING THE SAME FOR A FUTURE DELEGATION FROM THE NPC VISITING THE UK.

5. WE AGREE THAT THE JIANGUO AND CHINA WORLD WOULD BE THE MOST CONVENIENT HOTELS FOR THE PARTY IN PEKING. WE CAN BOOK ROOMS THERE AT A COST OF US DOLLARS 80 PLUS 15 PER CENT AT THE JIANGUO AND US DOLLARS 145 PLUS 15 PER CENT AT THE CHINA WORLD FOR A SINGLE ROOM.

1

PAGE RESTRICTED