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3.
ANOTHER REASON FOR WIEDEMANN'S OPTIMISM WAS THAT HE SAW SOME
(SMALL) PROSPECT FOR PROGRESS ON THE OUTSTANDING CONTENTIOUS ISSUES IN US/CHINA RELATIONS. ON PROLIFERATION, FOR EXAMPLE, HE HAD BEEN
HAD
MILDLY ENCOURAGED BY THE RESULTS OF BARTHOLOMEW'S VISIT (PEKING
TELNO 907). THE CHINESE
PROMISED TO QUOTE ADHERE UNQUOTE TO
AVOIDED EXPLICITLY SAYING THAT THEY
THE MTCR ALTHOUGH THEY HAD
-
WOULD FORMALLY JOIN IT. FURTHERMORE, WIEDEMANN BELIEVED THE CHINESE WOULD SOON ANNOUNCE THEIR DECISION TO JOIN THE NPT (PERHAPS
AS SOON AS NEXT WEEK'S MIDDLE EAST ARMS TALKS IN WHICH HE
-
Al
EXPECTED THE CHINESE TO PLAY A GENERALLY HELPFUL ROLE). HE ADMITTED THAT THE CHINESE HAD BEEN EVASIVE OVER M9 SALES TO SYRIA
AND M11 SALES TO PAKISTAN. ALTHOUGH THEY HAD ASSURED BARTHOLOMEW THAT THEY HAD NOT SOLD M9'S TO SYRIA, THEY APPEARED UNWILLING TO RECONFIRM EARLIER UNDERTAKINGS THAT THEY HAD NO PLANS TO MAKE SUCH SALES. HE SAID THE CHINESE WERE IN A BIND, HAVING ACCORDING TO INTELLIGENCE SOURCES - ALREADY ACCEPTED SOME SYRIAN MONEY FOR THE
ARMS. NEVERTHELESS HE DID NOT EXCLUDE THAT THEY MIGHT BE WILLING QUIETLY TO DROP THE SALE. HE SAID THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO JOY FROM THE CHINESE OVER M11 SALES TO PAKISTAN, WHERE THE CHINESE INSISTED THAT THEY HAD SOLD ONLY SHORT-RANGE SELF-DEFENCE MISSILES. AS REPORTED IN PEKING TELNO 907, WIEDEMANN SAID THE CHINESE HAD AFFECTED NOT TO KNOW WHAT AN M11 WAS (EXCLAM). BARTHOLOMEW WOULD PURSUE THESE ISSUES WITH LIU HUAIU IN THE MARGINS OF NEXT WEEK'S
PARIS CONFERENCE.
4.
ON HUMAN RIGHTS, WIEDEMANN DESPAIRED OF THE CHINESE DOING MUCH TO IMPROVE THEIR IMAGE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THERE WERE CONTINUING REPORTS OF THE HARASSMENT OF CATHOLICS, AND FOREIGN JOURNALISTS. BUT THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR IN WASHINGTON HAD ASSURED HIM THAT THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES WOULD DELAY BRINGING 21 TIANANMEN DETAINEES TO
TRIAL UNTIL AFTER THE MFN DEBATE. (THE 21 ARE DETAINED IN PEKING: WIEDERMANN THOUGHT THERE WERE PROBABLY OTHERS AWAITING TRIAL IN THE
PROVINCES).
5.
FINALLY, WIEDEMANN SAID THAT THE ADMINISTRATION WERE THINKING OF TARGETING THE CHINESE FOR UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES UNDER EXISTING
US TRADE LEGISLATION (IN PARTICULAR THE NOTORIOUS 301 SECTION OF THE TRADE ACT). IN THIS WAY, HE SAID, THE ADMINISTRATION HOPED TO APPEAR TOUGH ON US/CHINA TRADE ISSUES, AND THEREBY ATTRACT A LITTLE MORE CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT.
6.
AND
I BRIEFED HIM, IN CONFIDENCE, ON OUR PLANS FOR AN INSPIRED PQ
FURTHER LOBBYING OF
WIEDEMANN SAID HE WAS
CONGRESSMEN.
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