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APPLICATION TO REMAIN IN THE US IS STILL GOING THROUGH THE US LEGAL
SYSTEM) WAS SAID BY TAO TO BE AN OBSTACLE.
RADIO FREE CHINA/ASIA
10. KEYSER SAID, BUT ASKED THAT WE PROTECT CAREFULLY THAT THE CHINESE HAD RAISED THE QUESTION OF RADIO FREE CHINA/ASIA. THE IDEA THAT SUCH A STATION BE ESTABLISHED ANGERED THEM. KANTER HAD SAID
THAT THE ADMINISTRATION WAS OPPOSED TO THIS IDEA BUT THERE WAS A
LOT OF CONGRESSIONAL INTEREST. THE CHINESE HAD SAID THEY WOULD NOT
UNDERSTAND IF SUCH A STATION WERE ESTABLISHED. PRESIDENT BUSH HAS
APPOINTED A COMMITTEE TO LOOK INTO THIS SUBJECT WHICH IS EXPECTED
TO VISIT CHINA. THE CHINESE SAID THEY COLLD NOT WELCOME A VISIT BY
THE COMMITTEE BUT MIGHT CONSIDER APPLICATIONS BY INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS
FOR VISAS TO VISIT. KANTER SAID HE UNDERSTOOD CHINESE VIEWS AND
SAID THAT THE CHINESE COULD DO A GREAT DEAL TO INFLUENCE THE FINAL
DECISION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. KEYSER SAID THAT KANTER MEANT THAT
THE CHINESE TREATMENT OF THE COMMITTEE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE A MAJOR
BEARING ON THE RESULTS OF ITS DELIBERATIONS. BUT KEYSER SAID THERE
HAD BEEN NO SIGN OF CHINESE FLEXIBILITY ON THE ISSUE. IN A SIMILAR VEIN, KEYSER SAID THE ADMINISTRATION WAS CONCERNED AT THE UMBRAGE TAKEN BY PELL AND BOREN WHEN THE CHINESE WOULD NOT GRANT THEM VISAS FOR TIBET. BOREN HAS APPARENTLY PLEDGED TO TAKE A LEADERSHIP ROLE
IN OPPOSING MFN STATUS FOR CHINA.
MIAS
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KANTER APPEALED FOR CHINA'S HELP ON MIAS. HE SAID THERE WAS
CONSIDERABLE AMERICAN INTEREST IN THIS ISSUE. BOTH TAO AND LU SAID
THEY WERE PREPARED TO CONTINUE THEIR RESEARCHES BUT THEY REALLY
DOUBTED THERE WAS ANYTHING MORE TO DISCOVER.
COMMENT
12.
I ASKED KEYSER WHETHER THE KANTER VISIT HAD PRODUCED ANYTHING
WHICH WOULD HELP THE ADMINISTRATION IN THE MFN DEBATE. HE REPLIED
THAT THEY HAD NOT REALLY EXPECTED IT TO. ONE REASON KANTER HAD
COME WAS THAT THERE MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN LITTLE BILATERAL
CONTACT BEFORE NOVEMBER. THE TIME HAD COME TO TALK TO THE CHINESE ABOUT VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL AS WELL AS BILATERAL ISSUES.
13. I AM COPYING THIS TELELETTER TO S D FATTISON, WASHINGTON, STEPHEN BRADLEY, PAO, HONG KONG, CHRIS OSBORNE, BTC, HONG KONG, AND TO T FURNESS, HKD, FCO.
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