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matter of principle China would not make concessions, and would not barter away her principles.
10.
The Lord Privy Seal thanked Vice Premier Ji
for explaining how strongly China felt on this subject.
The UK believed that the development of Sino-US relations as well as Sino-UK relations was very important when considering the restriction of the expansionist
ideas of the Soviet Union. Any damage to Sino-US relations would be very regrettable. He was glad to
hear that the matter was still under discussion, which
was the best way to find agreement. Vice Premier Ji observed that one could not always find agreement by talking. The Lord Privy Seal replied that on the other
hand if one did not talk there was no means of finding
agreement. Vice Premier Ji reiterated that the US
should not make unilateral decisions during the course
of the course of the talks: this was a big problem.
Hong Kong
11.
The Lord Privy Seal said that Lord Carrington
had brought up the subject of the future of Hong Kong
in his visit in 1981. He had said that the fact was
that in a comparatively few years time all the laws and
powers which at present existed in Hong Kong would come
to an end. If nothing was done this would indeed be
the case. This question was already the subject of much
discussion in Hong Kong. He believed that it was the
wish of both sides that confidence in Hong Kong should be maintained. This was a subject to which we gave
much thought and he believed that he should also draw
the attention of Premier Zhao Ziyang to it during his talk the following day.
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