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HKD 021/4
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2 9NOV 1993
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per but sup/Eur.
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100404
MDHIAN 4221
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FM PARIS
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1194
OF 231754Z NOVEMBER 93
INFO IMMEDIATE BONN
INFO ROUTINE PEKING, HONG KONG, WASHINGTON, TAIPEI
PEKING TELNO 1497: CHINA/GERMANY AND EC MEASURES AGAINST CHINA
SUMMARY
1.
French concerned about German invitation to Chinese President.
DETAIL
2. On 22 November, in the course of other business, we raised with the Quai Far East Dept the invitation to visit Germany given to President Jiang Zemin by Chancellor Kohl on behalf of President Von Weizsaecker. They agreed that this ran contrary to agreed European policy. On 23 November Richier, Asia Adviser in Juppe's Cabinet, rang us on the same subject. He said that, having studied carefully the Poco texts, including the reaffirmation of policy in June, the French had concluded that the German invitation was a flagrant violation of an agreed European position. The Germans might try to argue that the ban applied only to state visits and,
it would if a visit by the Chinese President was a "working visit" / not fall foul. But this would be a travesty of what was intended. Richier said that the French were considering how to deal with the Germans on this point, in particular in view of next week Franco-German Summit. How was the UK proposing to react?
S
3. Following telecon Townson/Kydd (FED), we told Richier that the Governor of Hong Kong had raised this question with Kohl without getting a satisfactory response and that it was planned that the subject should be raised at Ministerial level at this week's UK/FRG Summit. It would be useful to compare notes after the two Summits but before the next meeting of the Asia Working Group.
4.
Richier was grateful for this frank response and in favour of continued consultation. He asked that we let him know what transpired on this subject at the UK/FRG Summit so that the French
We could "calibrate" their approach to the Germans accordingly. gave no commitment. Richier added that we would also need to
would reflect on the impact of the German move on European policy: the German invitation mean that other partners would simply regard
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