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DSR 11C
23. Of other regional powers, India would object to the
significantly sale of defence equipment which increased China's offensive
capability but would otherwise probably not make much of a
fuss. The same goes for the ASEAN countries, Australia
and New Zealand.
24. The Soviet Union would dislike military sales to China
and would probably complain about the sale of complete
weapons systems. But it is highly improbable that such
sales would have any effect on détente or other aspects of
East-West relations, although they might affect British commercial interests (see paragraph 32 below).
&
25. Human rights are a factor in some British arms sales
policy. No arms are sold to Chile or South Africa. In
other cases arms which would be used for internal repressio
are not sold. China rates poorly in human rights terms.
But the Chinese have no need for Western defence equipment
for law-and-order purposes and the kind of purchases they
will generally make have war-fighting rather than law-and-
order applications.
یا سرام
way Hadi? - back]
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SECTION IV: COMMERCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
26.
China's imports in 1976 were $12.5 billion, about the
same as Romania's and less than Czechoslovakia's or Poland'
The Japanese share was $3 billion, and that of the members (rebe stakes together ·
of the EEC/$2.3 billion. Of this, the British share was
only $124 million (down £50 million from 1975) against
German exports of $
and France exports of $
The United Kingdom now ranks tenth among China's non-
communist trading partners. China in turn is Britain's ..ti
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