TNAG-0840-FCO40-1049-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1979 — Page 50

that the French and the Germans have been more successful

in trading an we have.

PS:

Well, leaving bilateral relations aside

and moving on to foreign policy. To what extent do you think

Britain and China now have parallel interests in world policy,

in global policy?

LC:

-

Well, we as a country have a great interest

in stability and in peace. After all they are the policies of

both major political parties over these last years, and the sam

is true of China, because the Chinese as you know much better

than me since you live there have got a great programme of economic planning and of economic forward thinking planned for

themselves, and it clear is essential for them to have a period

of stability if they are going to carry out their economic plan

And so they have a vested interest in a stable world, and there

fore I think that both of us share this objective. And I

think its a very good thing that once a country is opened up and that there are opportunities of contact, its a very good

thing that we should use those contacts to influence the Chines

as perhaps in some ways they may influence us, with regard

to our thoughts about the world and about the way that

international affairs ought to bexmaintained arranged.

PS:

Of course the overriding preoccupation

in China in foreign policy and international affairs is

to restrain the growth of Soviet influence. Is that not

something else which we have essentially in common?

LC:

I think that it would be a mistake to assume

that because that is so it obviously is soit would be a

mistake to assume becuase we are friendly with China, one is

not friendly with the Soviet Union. I think that the two thing

are not incompatible, but it is obviously true, you have only

got to look at the situation to realise that the Chinese

are worried about Soviet expansion and it is equally true

that we in Europe, if you look at what is happening in NATO

vis a vis the Warsaw Pact and the amount of money spent there

-

we are

the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact on armaments

apprehensive about the military balance in Europe. So we do