TNAG-2927-FCO40-4202-Visits-by-Douglas-Hurd--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-C-1993 — Page 40

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104075 MDHIAN 4497

THERE MIGHT NONETHELESS BE ADVANTAGE, AGAINST THE BACKGROUND IN PARAS 3 AND 4 ABOVE, IN OUR LETTING THEM KNOW ABOUT THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN ADVANCE. WHAT IMPRESSION WAS LEFT WITH THE CHINESE WOULD DEPEND ON WHAT WE SAID. AS SEEN FROM HERE, IT OUGHT NOT TO BE TOO DIFFICULT TO AVOID SEEMING TO BE FISHING FOR AN INVITATION. WE COULD SIMPLY SAY THAT WE THOUGHT IT RIGHT AS A COURTESY TO LET THE CHINESE KNOW THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE WOULD BE VISITING THE REGION NEXT MONTH: THAT HE WOULD NOT HAVE TIME TO VISIT PEKING ON THIS OCCASION AND IN ANY CASE THE ATMOSPHERE IS NOT VERY PROPITIOUS: BUT THAT HE HAS VERY MUCH IN MIND THE MOU PROVISION FOR TWICE-YEARLY MEETINGS OF THE TWO FOREIGN MINISTERS AND LOOKS FORWARD TO SEEING QIAN QICHEN IN DUE COURSE: ARRANGEMENTS SHOULD BE MADE THROUGH THE DIPLOMATIC CHANNEL WHEN BOTH SIDES CONSIDER THAT SUCH A MEETING WOULD BE PRODUCTIVE.

8.

IF I WERE TO DELIVER SUCH A MESSAGE TO JIANG ENZHU HERE IT MIGHT PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET HINTS OF ANY NEW THINKING ON THE CHINESE SIDE (IN THE SAME WAY AS CONTACTS IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY REVEALED THE CHINESE MOVING AWAY FROM THE DEMAND THAT THE GOVERNOR SHOULD WITHDRAW HIS PROPOSALS).

BUT

9.

IN VIEW OF QIAN QICHEN'S MOST RECENT REMARKS, IT DOES NOT SEEM LIKELY THAT THE CHINESE WILL COME UP WITH AN INVITATION TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO VISIT PEKING IN PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES, WHETHER OR NOT WE TELL THEM ABOUT AN ANNOUNCEMENT IN ADVANCE. IF THEY DO, I DO NOT THINK IT WOULD BE TOO HARD TO DECLINE. WE WOULD OF COURSE HAVE TO UNDERTAKE TO CONSIDER SUCH AN INVITATION. BUT WE COULD RESPOND ON THE LINES OF THE LAST PART OF THE FORMULA SUGGESTED IN PARA 6 ABOVE, OR PROPOSE A MEETING DURING QIAN'S EUROPEAN TOUR IN MAY.

MCLAREN

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

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HKD

FED

NEWS D

PS

NNNY

DISTRIBUTION

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PS/MR GOODLAD SIR J COLES

MR HUM

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