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Everyone at the Seattle summit had been in favour of a successful resolution of the GATT negotiations. The universal feeling at Seattle was that if these broke down, the French would clearly be perceived as the villains. the event of a GATT failure, APEC would need to consider implementing some of the specific agreements reached in the Uruguay Round on a regional basis. We made the point that the United States and Japan also needed to make concessions if the Round were to end in agreement and that the French position should not be seen in isolation from the rest of the European Union. Hawke and Gyngell agreed with the former point, but not the latter. They knew that most members of
the EU did not support the French. They thought the Japanese, and probably also the Americans, would make the necessary last-minute concessions. But at Seattle it had been the French, not the Americans or Japanese, who had been seen as the only serious obstacle to an agreement.
4. Both Hawke and Gyngell emphasised the strategic importance of APEC in Paul Keating's thinking. This did not imply a security or political role for APEC; that was more for ASEAN, although (interestingly) Gyngell, speaking on a personal basis, was sceptical about the chances of any ASEAN-based forum playing a significant role over North Asian security problems.
5.
We outlined British concerns about dealing with ASEAN through the Troika. Hawke and Gyngell were sympathetic but came up with no ready solutions except that we should keep in touch through bilateral discussions with APEC member countries, including Australia, which they stressed would always be ready with information and help if required. did not suggest that Britain might be given a bilateral place
at the table.
They
6. Hawke and Gyngell confirmed that Seattle had provided their Prime Minister with the opportunity for useful bilateral meetings, especially with Presidents Clinton and Suharto and with the Japanese Prime Minister, Mr Hosokawa. He had now established excellent personal relations with all three. As requested by London, Mr Keating had stressed to the Chinese President, Jiang Zeuin, Australia's interest in a peaceful resolution of the disputes between Britain and China over Hong Kong, and in a handover which would not risk instability. But they confirmed that Mr Keating had not expressly endorsed Britain's and the Governor's proposals for democratic reforms in the way that Senator Gareth Evans had done in the past.
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