GRS 950
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL-
HKK040/57
RECEIVED REGISTRY
12 FEB 1985
"(5="/12
FROM PEKING 1918072 DEC 34
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 3046 OF 19/12/34
DESK OFFICER
REGISTRY
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, WASNINGTON,Į MOSCOW, UKBēlonNATO
Office.
DI4, MD
рил.
1143
A21495
#EC 027/14
PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT: MEETING WITH CHAIRMAN DENG XIAOPING:
19 DECEMBT: SHO-SOVIET AND EAST-WEST RELATIONS
2 1 DCC184
1. AFTER DISCUSSION ON HONG KONG (REPORTED SEPARATELY, NOT TO ALL),
THE PRIME MINISTER ASKED DENG FOR HIS VIEWS ON SINO-SOVIET RELATIONS AND ON THE RECENT SOVIET-US DECISION TO RESUME ARMS CONTROL TÁLKS.
-
2. DENG SAID THAT CHINA HOPED TO SEE PROGRESS AT THE SOVIET-US
TALKS. HE ASKED THE PRIME MINISTER TO PERSUADE PRESIDENT REAGAN
NOT TO DEVELOP WEAPONS IN OUTER SPACE AS THAT WOULD MEAN ESCALATION
IN THE ARMS RACE AND AN EVEN MORE TERSE INTERNATIONAL SITUATION.
OF COURSE CHINA UNDERSTOOD THAT THE INTENTION OF THE US IN
DEVELOPING SPACE WEAPONS WAS TO FORCE THE SOVIET UNION TO MAKE
CONCESSIONS ON NUCLEAR MISSILES. BUT SPACE WEAPONS SHOULD
NEVERTHELESS NOT BE DEVELOPED. THROUGHOUT THE 1970S AND THE
FIRST 2 YEARS OF THE 1980S CHINA'S VIEW HAD SEEN THAT THE DANGER OF ANOTHER WORLD WAR EXISTED. NOW THIS VIEW HAD CHANGED SOMEWHAT
BECAUSE THE FORCES FOR PEACE WERE GROWING FAST. THE BRITISH
GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIME MINISTER HAD EXERTED EFFECTIVE EFFORTS
IN THIS RESPECT. CHINA WAS ALL FOR BREAKING THE EXISTING SOVIET-
AMERICAN DEADLOCK. SHE WAS MAKING EFFORTS TO INCREASE HER OWN
>CONTACTS WITH THE SOVIET UNION. BUT CHINA'S SITUATION WAS DIFFERENT
FROM BRITAIN'S. CHINA WAS FACED WITH A DIRECT SOVIET THREAT.
SHE HAD THEREFORE CONSISTENTLY TRIED TO NORMALISE RELATIONS BY
REMOVING THE THREE OBSTACLES'' (SOVIET TROOPS ON HER BORDER,
AFGHANISTAN AND CAMBODIA). UP TO NOW, THE SOVIET UNION HAD REFUSED
TO REMOVE EVEN ONE, SO THERE WAS NO NORMALISATION OF SINO-
SOVIET RELATIONS TO SPEAK OF AT PRESENT. SOME DEVELOPMENT OF ECONOMIC
AND CULTURAL RELATIONS HAD TAKEN PLACE AND CONTACTS OF THIS KIND
COULD SERVE THE INTERESTS OF PEACE AND DETENTE. CONFRONTATION
WAS NOT THE WAY OUT.
3. THE PRIME MINISTER SAID THAT DENG'S VIEWS ACCORDED IN MANY
RESPECTS WITH HERS. SOME PEOPLE, BUT NOT HERSELF, BELIEVED THAT WARS
WERE CAUSED BY THE EXISTENCE OF ARMS. THE REAL DANGER HOWEVER WAS
NOT WHEN TWO COUNTRIES WERE STRONG ENOUGH TO DETER ATTACK BUT
WHEN ONE WAS STRONGER AND POSSESSED TERRITORIAL AMBITIONS AND THE
OTHER WAS WEAK. BRITAIN WOULD LIKE SECURITY AT A LOWER LEVEL OF
WEAPONRY. BUT THIS HAD TO BE BALANCED SECURITY. WE HAD ONLY
DEPLOYED CRUISE AND PERSHING IN EUPOPE BECAUSE SC20S WERE
TARGETTED ON US. IF THE SOVIET UNION WAS TO DESTROY SOME S$205
IN THE PERIOD OVER WHICH US MISSILES WERE TO BE DEPLOYED IT WOULD
BE POSSIBLE TO HALT THEIR DEPLOYMENT. WE HAD TO WATCH THE SOVIET
CONFIDENTIAL
/UNION
KB
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