CONFIDENTIAL
meeting him and felt that she could do business with him. The Soviet Union continued to state that the US was not sincere in wanting disarmament. But she believed that President Reagan wanted arms reduction to be one of the major achievements of his second term in office. For that to be achieved trust was necessary. Chairman Deng enquired whether the Prime Minister had asked Mr Gorbachev whether the Soviet Union was sincere in wanting to disarm. The Prime Minister said that she had drawn her own conclusions. The Russians did not have the right to call the West insincere with Soviet troops continuing to occupy Afghanistan. But it was in Soviet economic interests to reduce the burden of armaments.
12. Chairman Deng asked the Prime Minister to take with her his sincere regards to President Reagan and his congratulations on his re-election. He asked the Prime Minister to convey his hope that in President Reagan's second term China and the US would cooperate in solving the question of Taiwan. If the US and President Reagan thought the concept of "one country, two systems" was desirable, there was much that they could do in this respect.
The Prime Minister said that she would certainly convey this message. The US had welcomed the Hong Kong agreement.
13. The meeting concluded at 5.15pm.
BRITISH EMBASSY
PEKING
28 December 1984
CONFIDENTIAL
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