TNAG-1167-FCO40-1447-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 57

Mr Davies

CONFIDENTIAL

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Reference

25 JA: 1982

Cof

on

Ellis M. 274.

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SINO-SOVIET RELATIONS

INDER

2

1. Mr Eugene Safronov, 2nd Secretary at the Soviet Embassy, called on me yesterday to discuss China. You may recall that some months ago he and a Counsellor at the Soviet Embassy called on Mr McLaren. It was agreed then that Mr Safronov might call on me at some future date.

2.

Speaking excellent English with a strong American accent, Mr Safronov sounded very much like a slightly diffident graduate from an American ivy league university. He said that he had studied Chinese in Moscow, but claimed not to speak it well and said that he had never been to Peking. Before coming to London he did a tour of duty in Bankok. In the absence of the Counsellor in Moscow, Mr Safronov has responsibility for UK relations with Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. He claimed ignorance of any detail of any Anglo-Chinese relations but in the course of our conversation showed himself to be well-informed both about bilateral relations and the internal Chinese situation.

3.

I responded in suitably bland terms to his questions on the substance of Anglo-Chinese relations and on Hong Kong. On the basis of reports he had seen in the British press and in the local Chinese press (Hsin Tao Pao) he seemed interested to know to what extent Britain and China had discussed arrange- ments for Hong Kong's future. I made it clear that such press reports were entirely speculative. He went on to ask about defence sales and referred to a report that UK was about to sign a £6m contract for the refitting of 8 Chinese destroyers. I was able simply to reply that there was no prospect whatsoever of such a contract. After a brief discussion of the Chinese internal situation, Mr Safronov turned to China's relationship with the US and the Third World. I in turn asked Mr Safronov about the prospects for Sino-Soviet relations. By way of reply, Mr Safronov left with me an English translation of a book published in Moscow entitled 'Militarism in Peking's policies'. He went on to comment that he had read reports of a Politburo meeting in Peking last June which discussed Sino-Soviet relations and which talked of China's '3 Experiments' since 1949. These experiments were (1) Sino-Soviet friendship in the 50s; (2) the Cultural Revolution; and (3) the opening to the West. According to these reports, the view was expressed at the Politburo meeting that of the three periods the first had been the most successful, both in terms of economics and in terms of the spirit and morale of the people. Having said that, Mr Safronov made it clear that he saw no prospect of an early improvement of Sino- Soviet relations. Nor did he seem to attach particular significance to the report he had just quoted.

20 January 1982

1-712 Pame

AR Paul

Far Eastern Department

DE 18-77

SS 8/78

cc: PUSD

EESD

Research Dept (FE)

CONFIDENTIAL