CONFIDENTIAL
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WILL WISH ANYWAY TO MAKE THE CHINESE CONCLUDE THAT BRITAIN'S
TERTIARY EDUCATION WITH ITS TRADITIONS OF CREATIVITY, INTELLECTUAL
EXCELLENCE AND DEDICATION TO THE PUBLIC GOOD MAKE IT BEST PLACED
TO DEVELOP MOST FULLY THE GIFTS OF CHINA'S HIGH-FLYERS.
5. WE WILL WISH TO COUNTER IMPRESSIONS BASED ON MARXIST DOGMA,
ANTI-COLONIAL RHETORIC AND OUT-DATED SOURCES OF INFORMATION OF
BRITAIN BEING A 19TH BUT NOT 21ST CENTURY POWER, WEAKENED BY
CLASS PREJUDICES AND SOCIAL CONFLICT, AND UNSURE WHERE ITS LONG-
TERM INTERESTS LIE. WE MIGHT HIGHLIGHT OUR SPECIAL POSITION AS A
EUROPEAN NUCLEAR POWER, CLOSELY ALLIED IN SENTIMENT AND NATO TO
THE US - BUT WITH EXPERIENCE OF AND EMPATHY WITH THIRD WORLD
ASPIRATIONS THROUGH OUR COMMONWEALTH HERITAGE.
6. THE TALKS AT NO 10 WOULD OF COURSE ALSO NEED TO COVER SOME
BILATERAL AND INTERNATIONAL TOPICS. BUT, GIVEN THE SHORTAGE OF
TIME, WE WILL HAVE TO BE HIGHLY SELECTIVE. SEEN FROM HERE, THE
FOLLOWING ITEMS WOULD BE OBLIGATORY OR DESIRABLE:
(A) HONG KONG: IN GENERAL TERMS, BUT THE SUBSTANCE DEPENDING ON
THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH WU XUEQIAN.
(B) BILATERAL ISSUES: A RAPID, GENERAL OVERVIEW MENTIONING
PARTICULARLY BUT BRIEFLY THE STATE VISIT, ECONOMIC, EDUCATIONAL
AND CULTURAL RELATIONS AND CLAIMS.
(C) INTERNATIONAL ISSUES: SINO-SOVIET RELATIONS (DOUBLY ATTRACTIVE
BECAUSE OF THE PARTY ANGLE AND LI PENG'S PRESENCE): THE NEED FOR
INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION AGAINST TERRORISM.
(D) CHINA AND BRITAIN; FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS THIS COULD LEAD INTO
THE PHILOSOPHICAL TERRITORY AND COULD CONTINUE OVER DINNER.
TRADE MIGHT BE COVERED IN MORE DETAIL IN A SEPARATE MINISTERIAL
MEETING WITH LI PENG.
7. GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS. WHAT SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES DO YOU
SUGGEST FOR (A) THE ENTIRE VISIT AND (B) THE NO 10 TALKS?
HOWE
LIMITED
FED
HKD
CRD
SCD
COPIES то:
SIR. P. CRADOCK, 10 DOWNING ST.
MR
WATT, GHF.
MR CRUICK SHANK, OT2/3, DT
MR. P. MACLEAN, EAD/ODA.
PROTOCOL D
NEWS D
PLANNING STAFF
SOVIET D
DR WILSON
SIR W HARDING
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