CONFIDENTIAL
143475
MDLIAN 9975
WASHINGTON AND THE PROPOSAL TO SET UP IMCS IN VIETNAM. HE HAD HOPED TO VISIT VIETNAM AT THIS TIME BUT, DESPITE USEFUL PROGRESS IN GENEVA, THE TIME WAS NOT YET RIPE FOR A FINAL NEGOTIATION IN HANOI. VITTHYA SAID THAT THE THAIS, AND ASEAN, WERE SUPPORTIVE OF THE BRITISH POSITION ON VBPS. THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THE RESULTS OF OUR NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE VIETNAMESE AND HOPED TO JOIN IN USING THE IMCS.
ASEAN SECURITY ISSUES
8. VITTHYA SAID THAT CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION HAD BEEN GIVEN AT THE KUALA LUMPUR MEETING TO ASEAN SECURITY ISSUES. THE JAPANESE WANTED TO FORMALISE THE PMC MECHANISM AND POSSIBLY
TO ADD A REGULAR MEETING BETWEEN SENIOR OFFICIALS. ASEAN HAD DELAYED A DECISION ON THIS.
9. VITTHYA THEN ASKED FOR BURNS' HELP IN RECRUITING GOOD BRITISH OFFICIAL AND ACADEMIC REPRESENTATION AT THE SECOND SEMINAR ON SOUTH-EAST ASIA SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS, WHICH WOULD TAKE PLACE IN BANGKOK IN NOVEMBER. AT THE FIRST MEETING IN MANILA, THERE WAS SCATTERED NON-ASEAN REPRESENTATION, BUT VITTHYA HOPED THAT THIS TIME THERE WOULD BE A GOOD BRITISH TURN-OUT FROM THE FCO AND FROM BRITISH ACADEMIC CIRCLES.
BURNS EXPLAINED THAT OUR AMBASSADOR IN MANILA HAD ONLY BEEN INFORMED OF THE FIRST SEMINAR THE DAY BEFORE IT BEGAN, BUT WE HAD A REAL AND PRACTICAL INTEREST IN SUCH MATTERS AND HE PROMISED OUR HELP IN SECURING A GOOD BRITISH TEAM IN NOVEMBER.
HONG KONG
10. BURNS SPOKE ABOUT THE INCREASED CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG FOLLOWING AGREEMENT WITH THE PRC OVER THE AIRPORT. VITTHYA SAID THAT HE EXPECTED HONG KONG TO BRING IN THE JAPANESE
INCREASINGLY AS 1997 APPROACHED. BURNS SAID WE HAD HAD CONSTANT
SUPPORT FROM JAPAN.
APEC
11. VITTHYA SAID, WITHOUT GIVING DETAILS, THAT HE UNDERSTOOD THE CHINESE WERE CLOSE TO FINDING A SUITABLE FORMULA TO COPE
WITH THE THREE-CHINA PROBLEM IN APEC.
COMMENT
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CONFIDENTIAL