GINACY
Mr Wood
SAD
CONFIDENTIAL
207
FROM: C O HUM, HKD
DATE: 30 May 1986
HKK
02612
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
INDE
- 9 JUN 1986
FICEN
PA
cc: Private Secretary
PS/Mr Renton
Sir W Harding
Dr Wilson
HM Ambassador, Peking
Chargé d'Affaires Kabul
AB
SECRETARY OF STATE'S DISCUSSION WITH THE CHINESE FOREIGN
MINISTER: 23 MAY
Afghanistan
1.
should have recorded earlier a brief exchange on Afghanistan when the Secretary of State had lunch with the Chinese Foreign Minister in Brussels on 23 May.
the
obstacles
to
an
2. The Secretary of State asked if the Soviet occupation
of
remained Afghanistan
of one improvement in Sino/Soviet relations.
3.
so.
He noted that
Wu Xueqian confirmed that this was the Soviet Union would like to pull out of Afghanistan, but
feared Russians
the
regime
they had
installed
that if they
left
would fall.
Afghanistan
the
The resistance
forces in Afghanistan were not united, but they remained firm in resisting Soviet aggression. Even Soviet bombing The Soviet death last year had not shaken their resolve. toll was at least 10,000. Even if the Soviet Union came up with a timetable for withdrawal it would not be accepted by the Afghan people unless this was in the context of a fair and reasonable political settlement.
CONFIDENTIAL