TNAG-0333-FCO40-369-Visits-of-Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Af-1972 — Page 6

SECURITY CONFERENCE/DISARMAMENT

14. QUESTIONED ABOUT THE CHINESE ATTITUDE TO THE PROPOSED EUROPEAN SECURITY CONFERENCE, THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID:

QUOTE I MUST NOT PUT WORDS INTO THE MOUTHS OF THE CHINESE LEADERS ON THE EUROPEAN SECURITY CONFERENCE. I WAS ABLE TO SAY, OF COURSE, THAT WE THINK IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND IS VERY LIKELY TO BE IN THE SUMMER OF 1973. OUR GENERAL ATTITUDE TOWARDS A EUROPEAN SECURITY CONFERENCE IS THAT WE SHOULD SEEK DETENTE WITH EASTERN EUROPE AND THE SOVIET UNION, BUT WE MUST DO 30 FROM A BASIS OF STRENGTH. TO PUT IT IN A SENTENCE: OUR POLICY IN RELATION TO EASTERN EUROPE AND TO THE SOVIET UNION IS RECONCILIATION BUT FROM A BASIS OF STRENGTH UNQUOTE.

15. FURTHER QUESTIONED AS TO WHETHER THE BRITISH POSITION IN

RELATION TO A SECURITY CONFERNCE WAS QUOTE CONDONED UNQUOTE BY THE CHINESE SIDE, THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID:

QUOTE I DO NOT THINK IT 13 FOR ME TO EXPRESS THE OPINION OF

THE CHINESE LEADERS ON A QUESTION OF THIS SORT. I EXPLAINED THE BRITISH POINT OF VIEW AND I THINK THAT POINT OF VIEW WAS UNDERSTOOD BY THE PREMIER AND BY THE FOREIGN MINISTER UNQUOTE.

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16. ASKED WHETHER THE QUESTION OF NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT AND ARMS CONTROL WAS DISCUSSED, THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID:

QUOTE WE JUST DID TOUCH ON NUCLEAR ARMAMENT QUESTIONS, BUT DEALT MORE WITH THE QUESTION OF GENERAL DISARMAMENT. IT WOULD BE FAIR TO SAY THAT THERE WAS BROAD AGREEMENT THAT GENERALISED DECLARATIONS ARE NOT MUCH GOOD. WHEN ONE GETS DOWN TO THE ACTUAL BUSINESS OF DISARMAMENT, DECLARATIONS' JUST TO DECLARE THAT WE WISH TO DISARM DO NOT GET ONE VERY MUCH FURTHER UNQUOTE,

VIETNAM.

17. ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY CONSENSUS ON THE KIND OF SETTLEMENT THAT MIGHT BE INVOLVED IN A POST CEASEFIRE ARRANGEMENT AND THE

ARRANGEMENTS FOR AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, THE SECRETARY OF STATE

SAID:

-11-

/QUOTE

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