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172020 MDHOAN 1844

REALLY ASKING THE CHINESE TO DO MORE THAN LIVE UP TO THEIR EXISTING UNDERTAKING. HE UNDERTOOK TO KEEP US CLOSELY INFORMED.

10.

COLES SAID HE THOUGHT THAT SOME AMERICANS HAD THE IMPRESSION THAT THE EUROPEANS WERE NOT SO CONCERNED ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA AS THE US. THIS WAS MISTAKEN, AT ANY RATE AS FAR AS WE WERE CONCERNED. THE UK RAISED

HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES AT EVERY HIGH-LEVEL MEETING. THE REPORT OF THE HOWE MISSION WOULD ISSUE SOON, AND MIGHT BE FOLLOWED-UP BY ANOTHER MISSION. HE WOULD ARRANGE FOR LORD TO RECEIVE A COPY OF LORD HOWE'S REPORT.

GATT

11.

COLES SAID IT WAS CLEAR THAT THERE WAS A LONG WAY TO GO BEFORE CHINA MET THE CONDITIONS FOR ACCESSION TO GATT. WE WERE THEREFORE BEGINNING TO THINK OF WHETHER THE TAIWANESE APPLICATION SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO MOVE AHEAD OF THE CHINESE. LORD SAID THE ADMINISTRATION HAD NOT YET DECIDED ITS POLICY. HE WANTED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT PRECISELY THE AMERICANS HAD SAID TO THE CHINESE ABOUT THE TIMING OF THE CHINESE AND TAIWANESE

APPLICATIONS.

IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE CHINESE TO ACCEPT THAT TAIWAN SHOULD MOVE AHEAD OF THEM.

TAIWAN 12.

IN RESPONSE TO COLES' QUESTION, LORD SAID THAT HE DID NOT THINK THERE WOULD BE ANY CHANGE IN US POLICY TOWARDS TAIWAN. THEY WOULD CONTINUE THEIR QUOTE ONE CHINA UNQUOTE POLICY. THEY WOULD NOT SUPPORT TAIWANESE INDEPENDENCE. BUT THEY HAD STRONG UNOFFICIAL TIES WITH TAIWAN, AND THERE MIGHT BE FURTHER SCOPE FOR TINKERING AT THE MARGINS IE BY SENDING MORE HIGH LEVEL DELEGATIONS.

13.

HE HAD NO MORE INFORMATION THAN WE HAD ABOUT THE FORTHCOMING QUOTE UNOFFICIAL UNQUOTE MEETING IN SINGAPORE BETWEEN CHINESE AND TAIWANESE REPRESENTATIVES BUT AGREED THAT IT APPEARED TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT POLITICAL CONTACT YET MADE.

HURD

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