CONFIDENTIAL
Simon Buckle
Mr Paul
Far Eastern Department
18 November 1987
Mr Gillmore
HKD
Soviet Dept Planning Staff
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Mr. Hur Mr S 32
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FROM:
DATE:
0 1 DEC 1987
CC:
Mr Fletcher-Cagné
Mr McLaren
see
24/11
CHINA'S FOREIGN POLICY: OCTOBER 1987
1.
I submit Sir R Evans' despatch "China's Foreign Policy: October 1987" which is being distributed to those with a particular interest in the subject. The Department will be sending a substantive reply, incorporating any comments the recipients of the despatch might have.
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2.
Sir Richard points out that the Chinese are seeking to play an increasingly responsible role in the global arena, pursuing their interests through the established mechanism of the international community. Russian strategic ambitions remain a threat to Chinese, as well as Western interests, and I agree with Sir Richard that in response China will peacefully seek to establish a balanced, multipolar world in which her voice is more closely heard. That said, in areas where there is strong national interest (eg Taiwan) or short term economic benefit (as in the case of arms sales to Iran) this is likely to overide more principled foreign policy objectives.
3. On a regional level, Sir Richard highlights the economic power and supra-regional role of Japan as posing special problems for Chinese interests in East Asia. While this is true, and the Chinese are particularly sensitive to Japanese relations with Taiwan, I feel that by focussing overly on Japan Sir Richard has failed to address fully the increasingly important role that India is likely to play as a regional power. In many ways India is in more open and direct competition with China than Japan, not only on the Sino-Indian border, but also more generally as a leader of third-world opinion and as another significant military power with a nuclear weapons capability.
Simon Buckle
Simon Buckle
SB9 ABG
CONFIDENTIAL
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