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decisions on their behalf.
Prince Sihanouk had arrived in
Peking on 4 January. Talks had not yet started. Sihanouk
would spend some considerable time in Peking and then visit
North Korea.
Korea
9.
In response to a question from Mr Atkins, Mr Zhang
spoke about the Chinese attitude to Korea. China wished to
see Korea reunified. Reunification was Korea's internal affair
and should be achieved without outside interference. The
presence of US troops in South Korea was an obstacle to independent and peaceful reunification. President Reagan's
renunciation of the 'plan concerning US troops in South Korea'
was not in the interests of the Korean people, nor beneficial to peaceful reunification.
10.
Mr Zhang said that North Korea had on many occasions
stated that it did not want war. China believed this, and that
North Korea did not harbour intentions of aggression against
South Korea. North Korea had made many constructive proposals
for eliminating the risk of military confrontation on the Korean
peninsula. They had proposed a dialogue with the US side and
they had proposed that a peace treaty should replace the
existing armistice. In October 1980 President Kim Il Sung had
proposed the establishment of a 'Democratic Confederal Republic
of Koryo'. As the social systems of North and South Korea were
different, China thought that this proposal was practical and
realistic. Unfortunately South Korea had rejected it. China
supported the reunification of Korea, was opposed to the
creation of two Koreas and to cross-recognition.
China did not have any relations with South Korea.
11.
That was why
Turning to Premier Zhao's recent visit to North Korea,
Mr Zhang said that this had been a return of Premier Li Jong Ok's visit to China in January 1981. It had been a goodwill
visit. The two sides had exchanged views on international and
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