CONFIDENTIAL
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10.
Mr Zhang asked about relations between Western Europe
and the Soviet Union. Mr Atkins described these as 'suspicious'.
Afghanistan had demonstrated that the Russians' aim of seeking
to extend their influence and the methods used to pursue it had
not changed. Soviet arms expenditure, particularly on nuclear
arms, remained extremely high, far greater than could conceivably
be needed simply for national defence. Discussions on the control
of nuclear weapons between the Soviet Union and the US were
about to begin. The West hoped that these would be successful.
Governments wanted to divert their money from armaments, but at
present could not afford to do so. When asked whether there were
Soviet attempts at subversion in China, Mr Zhang said only that
the Soviet Union carried out subversion wherever possible.
11.
Mr Zhang said that in Afghanistan the Soviet Union had
created a precedent by sending its own troops into a Third World country. The reason why the Soviet Union was prepared to
act in such flagrant defiance of world opinion lay in their
determination to carry out the old Tsarist policy of pushing
south to the Indian Ocean. Unlike Western Europe, China was not
'suspicious' about Soviet intentions, but, rather, sure that
their aim was to act as world overlord. Soviet aggression in
Afghanistan and support for Vietnam in Kampuchea were both parts of this global strategy. If successful in Afghanistan the Soviet Union would not stop there but continue to push southward into
the crucial area adjoining the Persian Gulf and the Middle East.
12.
Mr Zhang said that in world strategic terms the USA
remained the only rival to the Soviet Union. However, China
believed that at present the posture of the Soviet Union was
offensive while that of the US was defensive. For example the
Soviet Union had advocated a political settlement in Afghanistan
and alleged that their troops were sent at the invitation of the
Afghan Government. They claimed that once the domestic situation had stabilised and outside interference ceased, they would
withdraw. But who had interfered? There were at present no Western European, US or Chinese troops in Afghanistan, only over 80,000 Soviet troops. China believed that the only solution to
CONFIDENTI AT
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