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RIGHTS TO THEM.
BUT HE WELCOMED THE CHANCE FOR A CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE ON THE THESE MATTERS.
11.
IN PARALLEL TO RONG YIREN'S TALKS, LIU XIANGDONG ATTENDED THE THIRD MEETING OF THE PORTUGUESE/CHINESE JOINT COMMISSION ON TRADE. THE COMMISSION AGREED THAT CHINA WOULD BUY MORE PORTUGUESE PRODUCTS TO OVERCOME PORTUGAL'S TRADE DEFICIT WITH CHINA (CORK, PAPER AND COPPER WERE HIGHLIGHTED) AND THAT PORTUGAL WOULD PROVIDE CHINA WITH A 200 MILLION US DOLLARS CREDIT LINE TO FACILITATE THIS.
12. RONG YIREN INVITED CAVACO SILVA TO VISIT CHINA. NO DATE HAS BEEN FIXED. CAVACO SILVA LAST VISITED PEKING IN 1987 TO SIGN THE JOINT DECLARATION ON MACAU.
COMMENT
13. RONG YIREN MADE A GOOD IMPRESSION ON HIS PORTUGUESE INTERLOCUTORS. BUT WHILE THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE MEETINGS WAS EXCELLENT, THE CONTENT OF THE TALKS SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN THIN. THE SOFTLY, SOFTLY APPROACH ON HUMAN RIGHTS BY THE PORTUGUESE WAS ONLY TO BE EXPECTED AND REFLECTS THEIR GENERALLY NON-CONFRONTATIONAL APPROACH AND THE PRIORITY THEY GIVE TO AVOIDING DISTURBING THE SMOOTH RUNNING OF THE TALKS OVER MACAU. NEVERTHELESS, RONG YIREN SEEMS TO HAVE PROVIDED REASONABLY PLAUSABLE ANSWERS EVEN HERE. AS VALENTE PUT IT TO ME, IN STYLE AND CONTENT, RONG YIREN'S PERFORMANCE WAS VERY DIFFERENT FROM LI PENG'S VISIT TO PORTUGAL 18 MONTHS AGO.
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