TNAG-2818-FCO40-4065-Sino-British-Joint-Liaison-Group-XXVIII-administrative-arran-1993 — Page 112

26-OCT-1993 13:57

FAX

+ 853 868 2431

P.02

26 October 1993

R Bunten Esq

Hong Kong Department FCO

Office of the

British Senior Representative

Sino-British Joint Lialson Group

St John's Building, 3rd Floor, 33 Garden Road

Hong Kong .

Telephone: (852) 868 2171/2416/2435 Facsimile: (852) 868 2431

Jear Rad,

JLG XXVIII: POSSIBLE VISIT TO CAMBRID

1. I am enclosing with this the response of the Master of. Churchill College to my approach about his hosting a meal for the JLG teams (his fax to me of 25 october).

2. Since Dr Broers will not be at Churchill on the date, the attraction of that venue somewhat falls away. There may be other places in Cambridge which ovis would prefer to approach. I am therefore easy about how this comes out. I am sending a holding message to the Master and suggesting that it would now be better if further contact should be directly between you or OVIS and the College.

3. In my own view it would be perfectly acceptable for either the Vice Master or the former Master to host a meal. On balance Alan Paul and I believe (as I think you do) that, for practical & reasons, we should try to do the meal at lunchtime. The Chinese. may, for example wish to catch a light back to Hong Kong/Peking that evening. It is however conceivable that, if the overall relationship were to deteriorate markedly before the JLG, Guo may in any case decide that it would be inappropriate to be seen gallavanting around with us. (The same considerations may apply vice versa.) It is therefore for consideration whether it would. be easier for OVIS to set up à lunch at some hostelry rather than : at a college, which could be cancelled at rather shorter notice and without raising eyebrows. May I leave it to you to discuss with Peter Ricketts and decide how to handle this further?