TNAG-2924-FCO40-4199-Visits-by-Ministers-and-officials-from-third-countries-to-Ho-1993 — Page 123

RESTRICTED

FM PEKING

TO TELELETTER HONG KONG

TELELETTER NFR

OF 190414Z FEBRUARY 93

AND TO TELELETTER FCO, MANILA

RESTRICTED

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يا

7912

147

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MDTTAN 7011

Copy Mr Hewitt, SCA) Сори 3. Ms B-J.

M Woodrow or

FROM

TELELETTER

SIR ROBIN MCLAREN, PEKING

NFR OF 19 FEBRUARY 1993

FOLLOWING FOR WILLIAM EHRMAN, POLITICAL ADVISER, HONG KONG COPIED TO

ALAN MONTGOMERY, CMG, MANILA

PETER RICKETTS, HKD, FCO

VISIT BY PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES TO HONG KONG

1.

I SAW THE VISITING PHILIPPINES FOREIGN SECRETARY, BOBBY ROMULO FOR A DRINK ON THE EVENING OF 18 FEBRUARY. HE IS AN OLD FRIEND

FROM MY MANILA DAYS.

HE

2. ROMULO MENTIONED THAT HIS PRESIDENT WOULD BE PAYING A STATE

VISIT TO CHINA IN APRIL AND PLANNED TO PASS THROUGH HONG KONG. WOULD HOPE TO MEET THE GOVERNOR. DID I THINK THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE? I SAID THAT MANY HEADS OF STATE VISITED HONG KONG PRIVATELY. THEY WERE ACCORDED APPROPRIATE COURTESIES ON ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE AND GIVEN POLICE PROTECTION BUT DID NOT NORMALLY HAVE MEETINGS WITH THE GOVERNOR OR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT UNLESS THERE WAS SOMETHING TO DISCUSS. AS A NEIGHBOUR WITH CLOSE CONNECTIONS WITH HONG KONG THE PHILIPPINES WAS OF COURSE DIFFERENT. IF PRESIDENT RAMOS WANTED TO MEET THE GOVERNOR, I WAS SURE MR PATTEN WOULD BE HAPPY TO SEE HIM, PROVIDED HE WAS IN THE TERRITORY AT THE TIME. ROMULO ASKED HOW A MEETING COULD BEST BE ARRANGED. I SAID THAT ALAN MONTOMERY IN MANILA WOULD BE THE RIGHT CHANNEL.

ROBIN MCLAREN-..

RF

YYYY

INC

HKCD (26/10

2 2 FEE 1993

TRY

1) Taken