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402
al Answers State for Foreign and fairs (Dr. David heat issued by the e demonstrates the The European Com- e United Kingdom, resumption of peace
come the EEC state- East as a positive achieving peace in will the Secretary eflective representa- made to the Israeli e continuing_build- the occupied terri- international law, e progress towards
e in close and con- the Israeli Govern- no new decisions sraeli Government shall certainly look he hon. Gentleman
the Foreign Secre- y in another place | Byers introduced panies, individuals
effects of foreign b substitute for a Middle East, but that in the interim live the same pro- viduals and com- the United States States citizens and try?..
ve that there is n the Order Paper the boycott. The ell known. There
bate on this sub-
Is my right hon. ng the Adjourn- tter a short time pokesman speci- the disgraceful og boycott docu- on. Friend agree ation to stopping what is, I think, hon. Members
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1
Orul Answers
403
that it is quite wrong for this practice to continue?
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13 JULY 1977
Oral Answers
has been invited to visit the United King- dom. No date has yet been fixed.
Dr. Owen: There is a specific Question on the Order Paper about that. I read the report of my hon. Friend's speech in that Adjournment . debate and the speech of my hon. Friend the Minister who replied. I thought that it was a very useful exchange of views.
Mr. Hugh Fraser: The Secretary of State must be aware that there is a view that the statement by the Foreign Minis- ters has unnecessarily heightened tension in the area. By its open commitment to a Palestinian State it is a sort of Balfour Declaration in reverse. without the strength, or occupation, and should be reconsidered.
Dr. Owen: I respect the right hon. Gentleman's views and I know his feel- ings on this matter, but what he has said The statement was not is not correct. referring to a Palestinian State.
It was referring to the need for a Palestinian homeland. The statement needs to be read as a whole. It speaks of the need for a commitment to peace, exchanges between all the parties concerned, with a view to establishing truly peaceful. rela- tions. I believe that it is a balanced state- ment and I do not believe that it has heightened tension in the area.
Mr. Raphael Tuck: Is my right hon. Friend aware that recently the word
“territories" in United Nations Resolu- tion No. 242 has suffered a metamorphosis to "all territories"? Will my right hon. 'Friend repudiate that change to the best
of his ability?
Dr. Owen: What has concerned us since 1967 is the continuing occupation of the territories that were overrun in 1967. That is what Resolution No. 242 refers to. If people are extending it to other territories, that is going far wider than Resolution No. 242.
China (Foreign Minister)
2. Mr. MacFarquhar asked the Secre- tary of State for Foreign and Common- wealth Affairs when he next proposes to meet the Chinese Foreign Minister.
The Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Evan Luard): The Chinese Foreign Minister
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Mr. MacFarquhar: When my hon. Friend sees the Chinese Foreign Minister will be express his satisfaction that this country has been able to help the Chinese People's Republic during the last five years by training about 400 students in various subjects? Will he also express his keen disappointment at the fact that it is not yet possible for senior British sinologists to spend prolonged periods in China and that they are not allowed access to Chinese libraries while they are there?
Mrs. Dunwoody: Particularly my hon. Friend the Member for Belper (Mr. MacFarquhar).
Mr. Luard : I think that my hon. Friend has a vested interest in this subject. I hope that I shall have a chance to speak to the Chinese Foreign Minister on this and other subjects. My hon. Friend is correct in saying that in the last five years 391 Chinese student-years have been spent in this country and 58 British student-years have been spent in China, I agree that there is equal value in ex- changes in both directions. I agree with my hon. Friend that we should like to see more British people studying'in China. We believe that China has a great deal to offer that is of value to foreign scholars and we shall continue to pursue the subject.
Mr. Forman : When the Chinese Foreign Minister comes here, as well as discussing cultural links between this country and the Chinese People's Repub- lic, will the Minister and his colleagues also be discussing ways of increasing our trade with China, particularly our tech- nical co-operation in the sphere of offshore oil and gas development?
Mr. Luard: We are certainly concerned about improving our trade with China. For the first time in many years we had a deficit in our trade with China over the past year, and we want to remedy that. I agree that the area that the hon. Gentleman mentioned would be useful for
increasing our exports to China.
Mr. Hooley: If my hon. Friend meets the Chinese Foreign Minister will he dis- cuss with him the anachronistic situation of Hong Kong and the possibility of
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