THIS POINT. ANY CONTACT MIGHT SIMPLY LEAD TO A DIALOGUE WHICH WOULD DRAG ON FOR YEARS.
HONG ONG
5.
HONG KONG HAD NOT COME UP AT THE CLINTON/JIANG MEETING, BUT CHRISTOPHER HAD RAISED IT WITH QIAN QICHEN ON 17 NOVEMBER. CHRISTOPHER HAD SPOKEN OF THE U.S' STRONG AND LEGITIMATE INTEREST IN THE CONTINUED RULE OF LAW AND RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, AND HAD CALLED ON CHINA TO WORK COOPERATIVELY AND FLEXIBLY WITH THE UK TO RESOLVE FRICTIONS. QIAN HAD LISTENED, BUT GIVEN NO REAL RESPONSE BEYOND GRUMBLING A BIT ABOUT THE UNFAIRNESS OF BEING PUSHED TO GO BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF THE BASIC LAW AND THE LACK OF CONSULTATION WITH THE CHINESE. THE EXCHANGE HAD BEEN BUSINESSLIKE AND FRANK.
M-11
6.
WIEDEMANN (AND STATE) ALSO CONFIRMED THAT CHRISTOPHER HAD RAISED THE M-11 TRANSFERS WITH QIAN. THE U.S HAD 7 OUTSTANDING SATELLITE EXPORT REQUESTS FOR CHINA. TWO OF THESE WERE NOT COVERED UNDER THE SANCTIONS IMPOSED IN AUGUST. THE AMERICANS HAD TOLD THE CHINESE THAT THERE WERE TWO REQUIREMENTS TO OBTAIN A WAIVER ON THE SANCTIONS: FIRST TO REACH AN AGREEMENT WITH THE U.S ON MTCR ISSUES SIMILAR TO THE AGREEMENT WITH RUSSIA: SECOND TO GIVE A SPECIFIC COMMITMENT NOT TO TRANSFER CAT I MTCR ITEMS TO PAKISTAN OR CAT II ITEMS FOR KNOWN CAT I PROGRAMMES IN PAKISTAN. THE TWO SATELLITES COULD HOWEVER BE LICENSED IMMEDIATELY IF THE CHINESE WERE PREPARED TO START TALKING SERIOUSLY. THERE HAD BEEN QUOTE NO FIRM NIBBLE UNQUOTE FROM THE CHINESE WHO HAD RAISED IN STANDARD TERMS F16 SALES TO TAIWAN.
SUPERCOMPUTER
7
WIEDEMANN CONFIRMED MEDIA REPORTS THAT THE AMERICANS HAD AGREED TO SELL A CRAY SUPERCOMPUTER TO CHINA. THIS WAS A LONG-STANDING AGENDA ITEM BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES. THE SUPER COMPUTER WOULD GO TO THE CHINESE METEOROLOGICAL BUREAU WITH VERY STRINGENT SAFEGUARDS. IT WOULD BE CONTROLLED BY U.S STAFF AND UNDER 24 HOUR AMERICAN ARMED SURVEILLANCE. WIEDEMANN SAID THAT APART FROM THE COMMERCIAL BENEFIT TO THE U.S, THERE WAS A HUMANITARIAN CASE FOR HELPING THE CHINESE TO IMPROVE THEIR METEOROLOGICAL FORECASTING (FLOOD WARNINGS ETC). THE SUPER COMPUTER ALSO PUT CHINA IN THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL GRID.
RENWICK
YYYY
MAIN
FRAME EXTERNAL
.ECD (E)
NAD
SIR J COLES
MR BEAMISH
275
271
ONA -
0
2
1
1
ADDITIONAL
1
1
FRAME
[HAMILTON]
WBLNAN 7190