CONFIDENTIAL
9
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INTERNATIONAL ISSUES
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Turning to international issues, the Prime Minister first commented on East-West relations. A number of factors had recently combined to cause the Soviet Union and the United States both to consider the resumption of negotiations on arms control. The chances of results were better than in the last two or three years. The prospect of the development of a new generation of weapons in outer space had been instrumental in bringing about the resumption of talks. We recognised that each country, including the Soviet Union, had to feel secure within its own borders and in its own way of life. For that, a balance of forces was necessary. The choice was between a balance at a high level of armaments or reaching agreement which could secure a balance at lower levels. Any such agree- ment had to be verifiable. Because the cost of moving to the next generation of weapons was so high, it was right to seek balance at lower levels. It was an opportunity that must not be missed, although a great deal of detailed and complex neg- otiations on all types of weapons and forces was necessary.
29. The Prime Minister said that she and Gorbachev, during their recent discussion, had agreed that neither side should look at the other through rose-tinted spectacles. Each looked from the view-point of two very different systems. Neverthe- less, two views were held in common:
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30.
there must never be another major world conflict; and
there was anew urgency about seeking arms control agreements.
Premier Zhao said in reply that China understood why a number of Western European countries had agreed to INF deploy- ment to offset Soviet nuclear superiority in Europe. But the escalating arms race, particularly in nuclear weapons, was making the situation in Europe and the whole world even more tense, which was a matter of concern to people throughout the world and also to the Chinese Government. China hoped to see relaxation of tension between the two sides and was glad to see recently more contact and an improvement in relations between countries of East and West Europe.
31. China welcomed the agreement between the Soviet Union and the United States to resume arms control talks in January and hoped this would lead to a relaxation of tension and genuine disarmament. Nevertheless, the process would clearly be a diffi- cult one. It seemed that it represented merely a change of tactics by the two superpowers - neither had in fact abandoned its intention of seeking military superiority. Zhao hoped that countries close to the United States, particularly Britain, would urge the US to abandon efforts to seek such superiority. He had recently told the visiting Norwegian Premier that although the Soviet Union faced economic difficulties in sustaining military expenditure, nevertheless the Soviet people would be willing to make sacrifices if the Soviet Union felt insecure as
CONFIDENTIAL
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