CONFIDENTIAL
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73
CONFIDENTIAL
FM WASHINGTON
RECEIVE
29 DEC 1993
lut Sup
45.
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
STRY
TELNO 2865
INDE
OF 230038Z DECEMBER 93
56
177763
MDHIAN 8031
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UNDEL JLG HONG KONG, PEKING, TOKYO INFO PRIORITY UKMIS NEW YORK, UKREP BRUSSELS, UKMIS GENEVA INFO PRIORITY BONN, MOSCOW, ACTOR, ATTC TAIPEI
U.S./CHINA
SUMMARY
1 WINSTON LORD DESCRIBES NEW U.S. CHINA POLICY. DESIGNED TO ENGAGE CHINESE ON PROBLEM ISSUES AND AVOID MFN CONFLICT. THE ADMINISTRATION WANTS TO WORK CLOSELY WITH US AND BE HELPFUL OVER HONG KONG.
DETAIL
2. WINSTON LORD (ASSISTANT SECRETARY, EAST ASIA, STATE) MADE A POINT WHEN WE SAW HIM ON OTHER BUSINESS ON 22 DECEMBER OF TAKING US THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATION'S REVISED CHINA POLICY. FOLLOWING THE CLINTON/JIANG ZEMIN AND CHRISTOPHER/QIAN QICHEN MEETINGS IN
NOVEMBER WHEN THE ADMINISTRATION HAD REAFFIRMED THE ONE-CHINA POLICY, THERE WOULD NOW BE INCREASED HIGH-LEVEL VISITS AND RENEWED MILITARY CONTACTS WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF PROVIDING A BROADER FRAMEWORK FOR POSITIVE MOVES BY CHINA ON HUMAN RIGHTS, TRADE, NON-PROLIFERATION ETC.
2. LORD SAID THAT THE SHIFT IN POLICY HAD ALREADY PRODUCED RESULTS. THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL IN BILATERAL RELATIONS HAD BEEN HALTED. THE TONE OF CHINESE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE STATEMENTS HAD IMPROVED. THERE WAS MODEST PROGRESS ON HUMAN RIGHTS, INCLUDING WILLINGNESS TO CONSIDER ICRC VISITS TO PRISONS, EXIT VISAS FOR SOME DISSIDENTS AND THE RELEASE OF TWO CATHOLIC BISHOPS. THERE HAD BEEN COOPERATION ON AMERICANS MISSING IN ACTION. AND CHINA HAD BEEN HELPFUL ON CAMBODIA AND NORTH KOREA. NONE OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS SHOULD BE EXAGGERATED BUT THEY SUGGESTED THAT ACKNOWLEDGING CHINA'S IMPORTANCE AND GIVING IT SCOPE TO AVOID TROUBLE OVER MFN WAS THE RIGHT APPROACH. ON MFN, PRESIDENT CLINTON HAD BEEN FIRM BUT THE CONDITIONS WHICH CHINA HAD TO MEET WERE NOT UNATTAINABLE. SOME CHINESE STILL HAD TO BE PERSUADED THAT THERE WAS A REAL PROBLEM
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