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CONFIDENTIAL
visited. But the Chinese are proud of the international
welcome given to the Joint Declaration and are happy to
refer to it as a high point in UK-Chinese relations.
2. Taiwan: the UK has never underwritten Chinese
ambitions to reunite Taiwan with the mainland
3. Tibet and the Dalai Lama: we acknowledge China's
suzerainty over Tibet but not, technically, her claim to
sovereignty. The Dalai Lama visits UK in a private,
-
religious capacity we do not recognise his
"Government-in-exile".
4. Human rights in China: better than under Chairman
Mao, but there are still totalitarian abuses of power.
The Chinese regard this as a purely internal matter.
5. Chairman Mao: still officially regarded as a great
leader, but now admitted to have made major "mistakes" in
later years.
Privately hated by many - including some
senior leaders for excesses of the Cultural Revolution.
6. Chinese Antiques in Buckingham Palace: the Chinese
T
consider most antiques taken abroad before 1949 to be
theirs.
They are particularly bitter about widespread
looting by western armies, including the British Army, in
the second half of the 19th century.
FC6AAN
CONFIDENTIAL
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