GR 1000
IMMEDIATE
HER CAT Â
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 12193OZ
CONFIDENTIAL
TO IMMEDIATE FEKING TEL NO 619 OF 12 OCTOBER
INFO HONG KONG
761
L
HICK 020111551
RELLA
OFFICER
PA
No
See 1·162)
1072
KC.
Action Teken
$
FROM FED
VISIT OF HUANG HUA
1. FOLLOWING IS PRELIMINARY ACCOUNT OF HIGH LIGHTS OF THURSDAY'S
TALKS.
2. RHODESIA: DR OWEN SAID THAT THE CHINESE HAD SOME INFLUENCE WITH MUGABE, AND HE WOULD WELCOME CHINESE ADVICE ON WHETHER THE UK SHOULD BE DOING ANYTHING ELSE TO HELP A SETTLEMENT. TIME WAS RUNNING OUT FOR A NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT, HUANG BEGAN WITH A LENGTHY RESUME OF THE CHINESE VIEW ON SOVIET GLOBAL STRATEGY, AND RE-EMPHASISED THE RISK THAT THE WEST WOULD UNDERESTIMATE THE DANGERS. ON AFRICA, HE SAID THAT THE FIRST ESSENTIAL WAS TO GET RID OF SOVIET AND CUBAN FORCES AND LET THE AFRICANS SOLVE THEIR OWN PROBLEMS. FOR SOME TIME THE WEST'S REACTION TO SOVIET ACTIVITY IN AFRICA HAD BEEN SOFT AND FEEBLE. THE CORRECT HANDLING OF THE RHODESIA AND NAMIBIA PROBLEMS WAS TO MEET THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE PEOPLE OF RHODESIA AND NAMIBIA FOR SELF DETERMINATION AND MAJORITY RULE. THE FRONT LINE COUNTRIES WERE WILLING TO TRY THE ANGLO-AMERICAN PLAN, BUT THEIR CONFIDENCE IN IT HAD DECREASED. CHINA SUPPORTED ALL FORMS OF THE STRUGGLE FOR THEIR RIGHTS BY THE PEOPLE OF RHODESIA AND NAMIBIA INCLUDING ARMED STRUGGLE. BUT CHINA DID NOT OPPOSE
NEGOTIATIONS.
3. HUANG HUA CRITICISED THE WEST'S WILLINGNESS TO GIVE THE SOVIET UNION CREDIT AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, DR OWEN SAID THAT THERE WERE DIFFERENCES OF VIEW ON THIS EVEN WITHIN THE WEST, WE WERE VERY STRICT, EG WE DID NOT SUPPLY OFFENSIVE OR DEFENSIVE MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO THE USSR. BUT WE WERE NOT PREPARED TO WITHHOLD TECHNOLOGY ENTIRELY: ON BALANCE THIS WOULD HURT US MORE THAN THE USSR AND IT WOULD MAKE OUR POLICY OF DIALOGUE IMPOSSIBLE, THE PRESSURE OF MARKET FORCES MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO REACH AGREEMENT WITHIN EUROPE ON CREDIT TERMS TO THE SOVIET UNION. THE UK COULD NOT AFFORD TO STEP OUT OF LINE.
CONFIDENTIAL
/4. HUANG
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