TNAG-1258-FCO40-1591-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 214

39. WITH THE UNITED STATES PUSHING AHEAD WITH ITS ARMAMENTS DEVELOPMENT THE SITUATION IS, OF COURSE, A WORRYING ONE FOR THE SOVIET AND HENCE, THEIR ANXIETY TO ENSURE AT LEAST CHINA'S

EUTRALITY WHICH EXPLAINS MOSCOW'S CURRENT SIGNALS TO PEIJING. MY READING OF THE PRESENT SITUATION IS THAT IN THE LIGHT OF THE ABOVE DEVELOPMENTS MOSCOW IS READY FOR CERTAIN CHANGES TO ACCOMMODATE THE CHINESE PARTICULARLY RELATING TO KAMPUCHEA, THE FIRST AREA OF PRIORITY IN THEIR FOREIGN POLICY AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THIS DEVELOPMENTS ARE A MATTER OF GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT TO ASEAN LEADERS WHO FEEL VINDICATED ABOUT THE SOUNDNESS OF THEIR EARLIER PROJECTIONS UPON WHICH THEIR STRATEGY HAS BEEN PREMISED, ASEAN THEREFORE WILL HAVE TO REDOUBLE ITS EFFORTS IN BRINGING ABOUT A POLTIICAL SOLUTION OF THE KAMPUCHE AN ISSUE. WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO LOOK-HARD AND CLOSELY AT THE EMERGING TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS AND TO SEIZE AND EXPLOIT EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO FULL ADVANTAGE. IN THIS REGARD WE SHALL NEED TO HAVE CLEAR MINDS, COOL HEADS, A FINE SENSE OF TIMING, WELL-HONED SKILLS IN THE ARTS OF DIPLOMACY, AND OF COURSE A LOT OF FRIENDS AND LUCK. I BELIEVE WE IN ASE AN POSSESS MOST IF NOT ALL OF THESE PREREQUISITES OF SUCCESS AND I PERSONALLY THEREFORE HAVE REASON TO EXPECT THE FULFILMENT OF OUR PRESENT LABOURS.

40. IN THE MEANTIME, TAKING NOTE OF THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE AT THE GLOBAL. LEVEL WHICH MAY GIVE RISE TO UNCERTAINTIES AND APPREHENSIONS ESPECIALLY TO SMALL AND WEAK STATES LIKE OURS ASEAN SHOULD PERSUADE THE TWO SUPER POWERS TO CREATE CONDITIONS THAT WOULD ONCE AGAIN BE DONDUCIVE TO THE REVIVAL OF DETENTE. I BELIEVE THAT IN A WORLD THAT IS CHARACTERISED BY A BALANCE OF NUCLEAR TERROR THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE TO LONG-TERM PEACE AND STABILITY BUT THROUGH DETENTE BETWEEN THE SUPER POWERS, FAND CHINA. I BELIEVE CHINA SHOULD BE BROUGHT INTO ANYFUTURE DISCUSSIONS ON DETENTE AS WELL AS ON THE LIMITATION OF STRATEGIC NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR WITH THE DEPLOYMENT OF SOVIET STRATEGIC WEAPONS IN / SOVIET ASEA CHINA AS THE PRE-EMINENT NUCLEAR POWER IN ASEA HAS LEGITIMATE FEARS AND THEREFORE RIGHTFUL CLAIMS TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE SENSITIVENEGOTIATIONS AFFECTING THE SECURITY AND WELL-BEING OF HER TEEMING MILLIONS AS WELL AS THE REST OF MANKIND.

41. I BELIEVE IT IS IMPERATIVE FOR THE SUPER POWERS AND CHINA TO SIT TOGETHER TO DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF A NEW DETENTE AMONG THEM IF WE ARE TO AVERT ARMAGEDDON WHICH WOULD SEAL FOREVER THE FATE OF MAN ON THIS PLANET. LEARNING FROM THE LESSONS OF THE PAST THE THREE POWERS IN WORKING OUT THIS NEW DETENTE AMONG THEMSELVES SHOULD ESTABOISH CLEAR GROUND RULES IN THEIR OBSERVATIONS OF DETENTE, INCORPORATING INTER ALIA RULES OF INTERVENTIONISM. IN THIS REGARD I THINK IT IS ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT FOR THE INCLUSION OF CHINA IN THE DELIBERATIONS OF THE SUPER POWERS SINCE LIKE THE TWO OF THEM CHINA TOOHAS A HISTORY OF INTERVENTIONISM BOTH OF THE DIRECT MILITARY AS WELL AS OF THE SUBVERSIVE KIND.

WISMAPUTRA

KUALA LUMPUR.

15TH NOVEMBER 1983