SECRET
FM PEKING
SECRET
02111
RIC
03
TO DESKBY 220945Z FCO
TELNO 861
OF 220842Z JUNE 93
on Take
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
42
176114
MDHIAN 5807
PERSONAL FOR HUM, AUSS, FROM AMBASSADOR
HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR DINHAM, GOVERNMENT HOUSE
FCO TELNO 380:
(41 TALKS.
WAY FORWARD
میگم
6mnthly
neely
1. THE POLITICAL COUNSELLOR IS IN HONG KONG THIS WEEK FOR THE JLG. THE MINISTER HAS NOT BEEN CLOSELY INVOLVED IN HONG KONG BUSINESS AND AN APPROACH AT FIRST SECRETARY LEVEL MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN TAKEN SERIOUSLY. I THEREFORE DECIDED TO TAKE ACTION MYSELF, BUT IN ORDER TO EMPHASISE THE INFORMALITY OF MY ENQUIRY I SPOKE TO ZHAO JIHUA, HEAD OF THE FOREIGN MINISTRY'S HONG KONG AND MACAO AFFAIRS OFFICE, RATHER THAN VICE-FOREIGN MINISTER JIANG ENZHU, DID SO ON THE TELEPHONE.
2.
AND
I SAID I WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR ZHAO'S HELP ON A PRACTICAL MATTER. THE FOREIGN SECRETARY WOULD BE GOING TO TOKYO FOR NEXT MONTH'S G7 SUMMIT. HIS TIME WOULD BE LIMITED BUT MY PERSONAL VIEW WAS THAT IN THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES THERE COULD BE VALUE IN A MEETING BETWEEN HIM AND FOREIGN MINISTER QIAN QICHEN TO GIVE NEW IMPETUS TO THE TALKS. THE PURPOSE OF MY CALL WAS THEREFORE TO ASK ZHAO IF HE COULD ESTABLISH WHETHER QIAN WOULD BE IN PEKING ON FRIDAY 9 JULY, THE ONLY POSSIBLE DAY SO FAR AS I COULD SEE, SO THAT I COULD MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO LONDON ABOUT THE FEASABILITY OF A BRIEF WORKING VISIT BY MR HURD TO PEKING ON THAT
DATE.
3. I STRESSED THAT I WAS NOT PUTTING FORWARD A PROPOSAL, SIMPLY MAKING AN INFORMAL ENQUIRY AS TO WHETHER A VISIT WOULD BE POSSIBLE
IF ZHAO TOLD ME THAT QIAN FROM A PURELY PRACTICAL POINT OF VIEW. WOULD BE OUT OF TOWN ON 9 JULY, OR ALREADY HAD A FULL SCHEDULE OF COMMITMENTS ON THAT DAY I WOULD TAKE THE MATTER NO FURTHER. I ADDED THAT IF QIAN WAS GOING TO BE IN PEKING ON 9 JULY I WOULD NOT MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATION ABOUT THE DESIRABILITY OF A VISIT, AND I WAS SURE THE FOREIGN SECRETARY WOULD NOT DECIDE WHETHER TO PROPOSE ONE, UNTIL AFTER THE SIXTH ROUND.
ZHAO SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THAT I WAS MAKING AN INFORMAL ENQUIRY,
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