CONFENTIAL
Clearly the need to re-establish a better working relationship over Hong Kong has been a powerful factor in our own rebuilding of contacts and cooperation with China
over the past eighteen months. More widely our wish to encourage a positive Chinese attitude on international issues, most notably the Gulf, has contributed to the general restoration of relations between China and the
West. Mr Kaifu will visit Peking shortly before the
Prime Minister, who will be the first EC head of
Government to visit China since 1989, Mr Andreotti is
likely to visit China later in September.
:
EC partners
have recognised the special needs we (and Portugal) have for rebuilding links with China. But human rights
concerns mean that most of them do not favour too rapid a
development of relations. Similar concerns of course
continue to hold back US/China relations.
Objectives of the Visit
(a)
Our objectives are:-
to sign the MOU, to secure a resounding Chinese
endorsement of the Airport Project, and to
demonstrate that Britain and China are working
together to bring about a stable and prosperous
future for Hong Kong;
Lunil'
(b)
to demonstrate readiness to deal with the current
Chinese leadership on a range of issues, not confined to Hong Kong, in a constructive and hard-headed manner, by avoiding giving them (or the media) the impression that all is entirely
sweetness and light;
3