RESTRICTED
FM WASHINGTON
TO TELELETTER FCO
TELELETTER NFR
OF 262345Z FEBRUARY 93
RESTRICTED
AND TO TELELETTER HONG KONG, PEKING
/ Mr Man's 1/3
!!!) Mess Biguch 2/3
017134
MDTTAN 7539
OV/ This Bornes - Inge's 3/3
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FROM: S D PATTISON, WASHINGTON
HKB
091/1
TO:
T FURNESS ESQ., HONG KONG DEPARTMENT
RECEIVED IN DEGISTRY
23 MAR 1993
CC: CHANCERIES HONG KONG, PEKING
44
U.S./CHINA: MEN
IN.
1. IN A SPEECH ON INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS ON 26 FEBRUARY (REPORTED BY TELEGRAM), PRESIDENT CLINTON SAID THE U.S. WAS MAKING A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE ASTONISHING REVITALISATION OF THE CHINESE ECONOMY, WHICH WAS GROWING AT 10 PER CENT A YEAR. CLINTON SAID HE WANTED TO CONTINUE THE PARTNERSHIP, BUT QUOTE I THINK WE HAVE A RIGHT TO EXPECT PROGRESS ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY AS WE SUPPORT ECONOMIC GROWTH UNQUOTE.
2 =
LATER THE SAME DAY, THE WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN WAS ASKED WHAT THESE REMARKS MEANT FOR MFN. STEPHANOPOULOS SAID THAT THE PRESIDENT BELIEVED THAT MFN COULD BE RENEWED SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS QUOTE AND IMPROVEMENT IN HUMAN RIGHTS AND RESPECT FOR DEMOCRACY IN CHINA UNQUOTE. WHEN ASKED IF THE CONDITIONS WOULD BE SAME AS IN THE HOUSE BILL LAST YEAR, STEPHANOPOULOS DID NOT DISSENT, BUT SAID HE DID NOT WANT TO GET INTO SPECIFICS.
COMMENT
3.
THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION CLEARLY WANTED TO SIGNAL TO THE
CHINESE THAT THEY ATTACH IMPORTANCE TO CONTINUING THE U.S./CHINA TRADE RELATIONSHIP. AT THE SAME TIME THEY HAVE REAFFIRMED THEIR CONCERN ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS, AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO USE MFN AS LEVERAGE.
SIGNED S D PATTISON