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DSR 11C
CONFIDENTIAL
(h) there is, therefore, no overriding strategic
reason from the British point of view against
sales of military equipment and technology to
China.
SECTION III: POLITICAL AND POLITICO/ECONOMIC
CONSIDERATIONS
16. Whether or not the UK sells, arms to China and
what kind of arms depends not only on a calculation of
the strategic considerations but also on British
political and moral obligations to friendly countries
and the possible repercussions of such sales on British
interests both in them and in other countries, including
the Soviet Union.
17.
The first consideration is COCOM, which was set up
to control the sale of equipment and technology which
might be of significant military benefit to the Soviet
Union and her Warsaw Pact allies in Europe and to China
in the Far East. If the analysis in Section II is
correct, COCOM's current restrictions in China are
over-rigorous. China is unlikely to pose a military
threat to her neighbours (except Taiwan) and her chief
adversary is also the West's chief adversary. Never-
theless, China's nighbours, and particularly Taiwan,
may have a different perception and the US still has
major defence commitments in the area. COCOM itself is
of great importance to the UK vis-a-vis the Soviet Union
and it would be short-sighted to take any action which
/would
CONFIDENTIAL
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