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ALREADY ABOUT 1650. I HAD NO MORE THAN HALF A MINUTE WITH EACH OF THE LEADERS, ALL OF WHOM I BEGAN BY CONGRATULATING ON THEIR APPOINTMENT/REAPPOINTMENT/PROMOTION. I THANKED JIANG ZEMIN FOR SEEING SENIOR BRITISH VISITORS IN THE PAST AND HOPED HE WOULD FIND TIME TO DO SO IN THE FUTURE, DESPITE HIS HEAVY RESPONSIBILITIES. HE SAID HE HOPED OUR RELATIONS IN THE ECONOMIC AND OTHER FIELDS WOULD PROSPER. IN SPEAKING TO RONG YIREN (WHO MOST HEADS OF MISSION HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY MET) I SAID I HOPED HE WOULD CONTINUE TO TAKE AN INTEREST IN THE AFFAIRS OF CITIC, WITH WHICH MANY BRITISH FIRMS HAD ESTABLISHED GOOD BUSINESS RELATIONS. I REFERRED TO THE VISITS LATER THIS MONTH OF LORD PRIOR AND (PERHAPS) LORD YOUNG. RONG SAID THEY WERE BOTH OLD FRIENDS: HE HAD CLEARLY HEARD ABOUT LORD PRIOR'S VISIT.
5, WITH LI PENG, I SAID SIMPLY THAT I HOPED THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO RESOLVE OUR CURRENT DIFFICULTIES OVER HONG KONG. LI RECIPROCATED THAT WISH. QIAN QICHEN SAID HE LOOKED FORWARD TO SEEING MR HURD IN PEKING IN DUE COURSE. I SAID I KNEW THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE LOOKED FORWARD TO SEEING QIAN AGAIN AT THE RIGHT TIME. I ADDED THAT I HOPED QIAN HAD SEEN A REPORT OF MR GOODLAD'S MEETING WITH AMBASSADOR MA THE PREVIOUS WEEK: THE MINISTER OF STATE HAD REITERATED OUR READINESS TO TAKE PART IN TALKS WITHOUT PRECONDITIONS. QIAN MADE NO DIRECT RESPONSE BUT WISHED ME WELL.
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I AM SENDING A COPY OF THIS TELELETTER TO WILLIAM EHRMAN IN
THE POLITICAL ADVISER'S OFFICE HONG KONG. FED REGISTRY PLEASE PASS
A COPY TO PETER RICKETTS IN HONG KONG DEPARTMENT.
ROBIN MCLAREN
YYYY
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