CONFIDENTIAL
Republic
NFIDEN
Previous Reference:
CC(89) 31.3
Page 177
3. THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY said that the East German Council of Ministers had resigned on 7 November and the entire Politburo on 8 November. The Leader of the Socialist Unity Party, Herr Egon Krenz, was attempting to find a position where his Party could dig in. Every day brought new difficulties. The Party Secretary for Dresden, Herr Hans Modrow, had been nominated as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, effectively Prime Minister, and also brought into the hew Politburo. He had a relatively good reputation as a
eformer. The crucial factor in the situation was whether the eadership was prepared to give an undertaking to hold free alti party elections. Unless the leadership was prepared to
this undertaking, they would find it very difficult to stabilise the situation. It was significant that the demonstrators in the streets were calling for reform within East Germany, but not reunification with West Germany. It would be helpful if the Prime Minister were able to express the British Government's support for the processes of reform in East Germany during Quei Time in the House of Commons that afternoon. The West deman Government was faced with considerable problems over the inf had agreed to a
East German refugees. The British Government guest from the Berlin Senat to allow a small part of the Roye Force (RAF) airfield at Gatow to be used to accommodate some of the refugees.
the refugees. Measures were being taken to screen off that part of the airfield with security fences. The West German Goverment had also approached the French and other Western governments) for help.
In a brief discussion,
pointed out that it was essential to ensure that the East
refugees accommodated on the RAF airfield at Gatow did not yet there indefinitely and that security of operations on the base was maintained. It was also noted that the Bavarian Land overment had expressed concern about the practical implications of the inflow of refugees. This year a total of 500,000 Germayefugees had arrived in West Germany from the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact countries, including 200,000 from East Germany
China
Previous Reference:
CC(89) 22.3
the Chinese designed from
THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY said Government had announced that Deng Xiaoping his last remaining senior post as Chairman of the central Military Commission. He had been succeeded by ng Zemin who was his protege. The appointment of Jiang Zend might indicate that he was Deng Xiaoping's choice as a sucessor and a moderate, so that the move could have been worse from a Western standpoint. The present factional struggle within the chinese leadership seemed certain to continue, and it would probably be clear for at least another two years which group was to emerge in control.
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CONFIDENTIAL
not
DENTIAL
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