TNAG-2799-FCO40-4039-Hong-Kong-six-monthly-meetings-of-foreign-ministers-1993 — Page 63

SECRET

02111

SECRET

FM PEKING

TO DESKBY 291030Z FCO

TELNO 901

RECEIVER

DESKO DEX

014606

MDHIAN 6814

61

993

COP COPY

OF 290954Z JUNE 93

INFO DESKBY 29103OZ HONG KONG

INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG

58

ST?

Ja mullily

meeting

16

HONG KONG TELNO 1048: POSSIBLE VISIT BY YOU TO PEKING

1. PARAGRAPH 7 OF TUR RAISES THE QUESTION OF THE TIMING OF AN APPROACH TO THE CHINESE ABOUT A VISIT BY YOU TO PEKING, SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO COME.

2.

I TOLD JIANG ENZHU DURING THE SIXTH ROUND THAT IT WAS VERY UNLIKELY THAT ANY DECISION WOULD BE TAKEN UNTIL AFTER THE 1 JULY MEETING. HIS RESPONSE WAS TO SAY THAT IF YOU WISHED TO COME ON 9 JULY (WHEN HE HAD ALREADY TOLD ME QIAN QICHEN WOULD IN PRINCIPLE BE FREE) THE SOONER A FORMAL APPROACH WAS MADE THE BETTER. I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO SEND INSTRUCTIONS TO THE MINISTER TO TAKE ACTION IN MY ABSENCE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE OPD(K) MEETING OR FAILING THAT ON 2 JULY: AN APPROACH AFTER THE SEVENTH ROUND REALLY WOULD BE TOO LATE. I AGREE WITH THE GOVERNOR THAT IN PUTTING A FORMAL PROPOSAL TO THE CHINESE IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO STRESS THE NEED FOR THE CHINESE TO GIVE US THEIR DETAILED VIEWS ON THE ELECTION COMMITTEE (AND TO PROVIDE SATISFACTORY RESPONSES ON THE THROUGH-TRAIN AND OUR OTHER THREE ISSUES) AT THE SEVENTH ROUND IF YOUR VISIT IS TO BE PRODUCTIVE.

3.

I WOULD SEE SOME ADVANTAGE IN DELAYING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF A VISIT UNTIL AFTER THE SEVENTH ROUND. APART FROM ANYTHING ELSE, IT WOULD REDUCE THE LENGTH OF THE PERIOD IN WHICH THE PRESS WOULD BE FREE TO SPECULATE ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF THE VISIT. THE CHINESE COULD PROBABLY BE PERSUADED TO AGREE TO THIS TIMING IF WE EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS NOT OUR NORMAL PRACTICE TO ANNOUNCE VISITS OF THIS KIND

MORE THAN A DAY OR TWO IN ADVANCE.

4. AS REGARDS PUBLIC PRESENTATION, I AGREE WITH THE FOUR POINTS SUGGESTED BY THE GOVERNOR IN PARAGRAPH 5 OF TUR. I THINK WE WOULD NEED ADDITIONALLY, FOR USE AT THE TIME OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT, AN EXPLANATION OF WHY YOU HAD CHOSEN THIS PARTICULAR TIME TO VISIT. THIS MIGHT DRAW ON YOUR PRESENCE IN TOKYO, THE FACT THAT THERE HAD ALREADY BEEN SEVEN ROUNDS OF TALKS, AND THE CONCERN IN HONG KONG

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