CONFIDENTIAL
067376
MDHIAN 1412
AFRICAN CANDIDATE. HE HAD ACCEPTED AN INVITATION TO VISIT LONDON IN THE SPRING OF 1992, IN FULFILMENT OF THE PROVISION IN THE MOU FOR SIX-MONTHLY MEETINGS BETWEEN THE FOREIGN MINISTERS TO DISCUSS HONG KONG AND OTHER ISSUES. YOU WOULD ALSO SEE QIAN IN THE MARGINS OF THE UNGA. THE PRIME MINISTER HAD NOT (NOT) ISSUED AN INVITATION TO LI TO VISIT LONDON.
13. I ALSO EXPLAINED TO COLLEAGUES THAT THERE HAD BEEN A LENGTHY
DISCUSSION BETWEEN OFFICIALS ON THE REFERENCE TO THE NPT IN
THE JOINT COMMUNIQUE. WE HAD WANTED A REFERENCE TO THE CHINESE DECISION BEING ''AN IMPORTANT STEP IN STRENGTHENING THE N PT REGIME'. THEY HAD ARGUED STRONGLY AGAINST THIS IN FAVOUR OF THEIR OWN ''A SIGNIFICANT STEP IN ARMS CONTROL AND DISARMAMENT''
IN PRACTICE THE CHINESE HAD BEEN TRYING TO EVADE ANY IMPLICIT CRITICISM OF THEIR PREVIOUS CONDUCT AND POSSIBLY RESTRAINT ON
THEIR FUTURE ACTIVITIES.
14. I WAS ASKED ABOUT THE STATE OF SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS
FOLLOWING THE VISIT. I REFERRED COLLEAGUES TO CONTINUING PUBLIC CONCERN ABOUT TIANANMEN AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION GENERALLY, AS WELL AS THE REMAINING EC MEASURES RELATING TO DEFENCE SALES AND HIGH LEVEL MILITARY CONTACTS. AGAINST THAT BACKGROUND RELATIONS COULD NOT BE EXACTLY THE SAME AS THEY HAD BEEN BEFORE JUNE 1989. THAT APART, THE VISIT HAD GONE WELL AND SHOULD ENABLE US TO MAKE BETTER PROGRESS ON HONG KONG ISSUES AS WELL AS CONTRIBUTING TO COOPERATION WITH CHINA IN THE SECURITY COUNCIL.
15.
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I ADDED THAT THE GOVERNOR HAD HAD A SEPARATE CONVERSATION WITH LU PING DEVOTED MAINLY TO IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AIRPORT
AGREEMENT. IN REPLY TO ANOTHER QUESTION I EXPLAINED THAT THE CHINESE HAD REJECTED A REFERENCE TO HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE COMMUNIQUE
SINCE THEY COULD NOT ADMIT TO THEIR OWN AUDIENCE THAT HUMAN
RIGHTS WERE RAISED IN DISCUSSIONS WITH VISITING LEADERS. ON THIS OCCASION A REFERENCE WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THEM FROM PUBLISHING THE
JOINT COMMUNIQUE IN FULL IN THE NEWSPAPERS OR QUOTING EXTENSIVELY FROM IT ON TV.
16. COUNSELLOR HAS BRIEFED COLLEAGUES FROM U S, CANADIAN, JAPANESE, AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND EMBASSIES IN SIMILAR TERMS.
MCLAREN.
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