TNAG-2981-FCO40-1473-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-1982 — Page 105

GRS 550

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKPY 3109OOZ

CONFIDENTIAL

FM BTC HONG KONG 31052OZ AUGUST 82

TO IMMEDIATE D O I

TELEGRAM NUMBER INDUS 122 OF 31 AUGUST

AND TO PRIORITY PEKING

PERSONAL FOR MANZIE

43

M IF T: GUANGDONG NUCLEAR PROJECT

dowe Af 31/8! Pas pol

HKK 166|1

MIPT HAS BEEN SEEN AND AGREED BY MARSHALL AND

PLAIL. THIS TELEGRAM HAS NOT REPEAT NOT.

2. OUR IMPRESSION HERE IS THAT MARSHALL HAS GIVEN A REASONABLY FULL, IF SOMETIMES COLOURFUL, ACCOUNT OF HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE. PLAIL WAS PRESENT THROUGHOUT

THE DEBRIEFING AND CORRECTED MARSHALL ON CERTAIN DETAILS. HE WAS ALSO AT PAINS AFTERWARDS IN PRIVATE TO CONFIRM THE ACCURACY OF ALL THAT HAD BEEN SAID.

3. ONE SIGNIFICANT POINT EMERGED ONLY AT OUR SECOND MEETING WITH MARSHALL. THE CHINESE, DOUBTLESS PICKING UP THE LEAD THAT MARSHALL GAVE THEM, READ HIM THE TEXT OF A MESSAGE WHICH THEY WISHED TO SEND TO PREMIER ZHAO ZIYANG IN PEKING

AND WHICH THEY WISHED MARSHALL TO GIVE TO MRS THATCHER. THE GIST OF THIS WAS THAT THE PROJECT SHOULD BE DISCUSSED WITH MRS THATCHER DURING HER FORTHCOMING VISIT AND THAT THE CHINESE WISHED MARSHALL TO LEAD FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS ON THE UK/US PROJECT. MARSHALL TOLD THE CHINESE THAT HE COULD ONLY

AGREE TO THIS IF A SENTENCE WAS ADDED RECORDING HIS REFUSAL TO

ACCEPT LEADERSHIP OF THE PROJECT TEAM. THIS RIDER WAS APPARENTLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE CHINESE BUT FURTHER DISCUSSION

OF THE TEXT WAS CONFUSED BY THE MISUNDERSTANDING OVER THE MANZIE MESSAGE (SEE PARA 6 OF MIPT). MARSHALL LEFT IT WITH HIS CHINESE HOSTS THAT HE WOULD GIVE A MORE MEASURED VIEW

VIA WEEDON (EX GEC REPRESENTATIVE HERE).

4. GIVEN THE OBVIOUS SENSITIVITY OF THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE PRIME MINISTER'S FORTHCOMING VISIT AND THE RISK OF MUDDLING THE

AGENDA I HAVE ADVISED MARSHALL TO AVOID ANY ATTEMPT AT

AGREEING A TEXT OF A MESSAGE WITH THE CHINESE THROUGH THE

WEEDON CHANNEL. WEEDON WILL HOWEVER SEEK TO CONFIRM THE

GENERAL SENSE OF THE MESSAGE DESCRIBED IN MY PRECEDING PARAGRAPH. WE ARE ALSO ARRANGING FOR SEATON TO ACCOMPANY WEEDON

TO KEEP A WEATHER EYE ON THESE EXCHANGES. SUCH A VISIT WOULD

ALSO ENABLE SEATON TO CONFIRM THAT THE MANZIE MESSAGE IS NOW

FULLY TAKEN AND UNDERSTOOD BY THE GUANGDONG GOVERNMENT AND TO

SEEK CORROBORATION OF THE MAPSHALL ACCOUNT OF HIS

DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE.

Afly

CONFIDENTIAL

15. THE

G4

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