TNAG-1464-FCO40-1991-Visits-by-Chinese-officials-to-the-UK--including-visit-by-Hu-1986 — Page 171

GINACY

Mr Wood

SAD

CONFIDENTIAL

207

FROM: C O HUM, HKD

DATE: 30 May 1986

HKK

02612

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

INDE

- 9 JUN 1986

FICEN

PA

cc: Private Secretary

PS/Mr Renton

Sir W Harding

Dr Wilson

HM Ambassador, Peking

Chargé d'Affaires Kabul

AB

SECRETARY OF STATE'S DISCUSSION WITH THE CHINESE FOREIGN

MINISTER: 23 MAY

Afghanistan

1.

should have recorded earlier a brief exchange on Afghanistan when the Secretary of State had lunch with the Chinese Foreign Minister in Brussels on 23 May.

the

obstacles

to

an

2. The Secretary of State asked if the Soviet occupation

of

remained Afghanistan

of one improvement in Sino/Soviet relations.

3.

so.

He noted that

Wu Xueqian confirmed that this was the Soviet Union would like to pull out of Afghanistan, but

feared Russians

the

regime

they had

installed

that if they

left

would fall.

Afghanistan

the

The resistance

forces in Afghanistan were not united, but they remained firm in resisting Soviet aggression. Even Soviet bombing The Soviet death last year had not shaken their resolve. toll was at least 10,000. Even if the Soviet Union came up with a timetable for withdrawal it would not be accepted by the Afghan people unless this was in the context of a fair and reasonable political settlement.

CONFIDENTIAL