TNAG-2798-FCO40-4038-Hong-Kong-six-monthly-meetings-of-foreign-ministers-1993 — Page 11

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

7870

SCAN 0138

DD 01090 FCOLN

DD 010130Z PEKIN

GRS 300

CONFIDENTIAL

DEYOU

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 010900Z FCO

TELNO 138

OF 010830Z FEBRUARY 93

AND TO DESKBY 010130Z PEKING

STRICTLY PERSONAL FOR SIR JOHN COLES PEKING STRICTLY PERSONAL FOR HMA.

TOP COPY

HK) (iw. dichetts)

c. Fod (ow. Javies)

il. imbuit a

ugh to far.

Juznez's exquing (about the whit mean)

i dne

comme

DUSS, FROM GOVERNOR.

ماما

John Lobe 1

YOUR TELNO 61 AND PEKING'S TELNO 131: SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO PEKING.

1. I AGREE WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S FEELING THAT IF WE ARE NOT A LOT NEARER RESOLVING OUR DIFFERENCES WITH THE CHINESE BY MARCH/APRIL IT WOULD NOT BE WISE FOR HIM TO GO TO PEKING AT THAT TIME. WHEN HE WENT IN 1991 WITHOUT ANY CLEAR SIGNAL FROM THE CHINESE THAT THEY WANTED A FINAL SOLUTION TO THE AIRPORT PROBLEM HE WAS INDEED GIVEN THE RUN-AROUND.

2. I AGREE ALSO WITH YOU THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY AT THE MOMENT WHETHER A VISIT IN THE WHITSUN RECESS STANDS ANY GREATER CHANCE OF SUCCESS. THE LINE PROPOSED BY THE AMBASSADOR IN PARA 6 OF HIS TUR SEEMS RIGHT TO ME: WE NEED TO OBTAIN SOME INDICATION FROM THE CHINESE THAT THEY ARE PREPARED TO PAY A PRICE FOR A VISIT TO PEKING.

3. AS THE AMBASSADOR POINTS OUT, THERE COULD BE A PROBLEM IN EXPLAINING WHY THE SECRETARY OF STATE WAS IN THE REGION BUT WAS NOT PREPARED TO VISIT CHINA. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW WHETHER QIAN HAS COMMITMENTS TO VISITING ANY INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES OR OTHER NEUTRAL LOCATIONS IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. IF WE WERE THEN TO PROPOSE A MEETING AT ONE OF THOSE VENUES IT WOULD BE EASIER TO EXPLAIN OUR POSITION.

PATTEN

YYYY

SPECAN 0138

NNNN

SINGLE COPIES

Sü John Coles.

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