TNAG-1621-FCO40-2235-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1987 — Page 179

2. THE MAIN PART OF THE INTERVIEW WAS DEVOTED TO AN ACCOUNT OF

SINO-AMERICAN AND SINO-SOVIET RELATIONS. WU ALSO EMPHASISED THE

NEED FOR THE UNITED STATES AND THE SOVIET UNION TO ENGAGE IN

DIALOGUE TO DISCONTINUE THE ARMS RACE, AND TO PROMOTE DISARMAMENT. HE SAID THAT THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD WERE CALLING EVER LOUDER FOR PEACE, DISARMAMENT, COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT.

3. WU SAID THAT CHINA WISHED TO IMPROVE AND FURTHER ITS RELATIONS

WITH BOTH THE UNITED STATES AND THE SOVIET UNION BECAUSE IT WAS NOT

ONLY IN THE FUNDAMENTAL INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF THE THREE

COUNTRIES BUT WAS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE FOR WORLD PEACE AND STABILITY.

IN 1996 SINO-AMERICAN RELATIONS HAD BEEN BASICALLY STABLE AND HAD

CONTINUED TO GROW. SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL COOPERATION,

EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES AS WELL

AS CONTACTS BETWEEN THE ARMED FORCES HAD INCREASED. HE POINTED OUT

THAT THE TAIWAN ISSUE REMAINED THE MAJOR OBSTACLE TO FURTHER GROWTH

OF SINO-AMERICAN RELATIONS AND SAID THAT HE HOPED THAT THE UNITED

STATES GOVERNMENT WOULD ABIDE BY THE SI NO-AMERICAN JOINT COMMUNIQUES

AND TAKE ACTION TO ELIMINATE THIS OBSTACLE.

4. WU SAID THAT SINO-SOVIET RELATIONS HAD BEEN DEVELOPING IN SOME AREAS BUT HAD BEEN HALTED IN OTHERS. THE VOLUME OF TRADE INVOLVED

IN AGREEMENTS SIGNED BY THE TWO COUNTRIES IN 1986 HAD AMOUNTED TO US DOLLARS 2.6 BILLION, AN INCREASE OF 30 PER CENT OVER 1935. HE ADDED THAT ECONOMIC, SCIENTIFIC, TECHNOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL COOPERATION AND EXCHANGES HAD INCREASED, AND THAT THE TWO COUNTRIES HAD REACHED AGREEMENT ON RESUMING BOUNDARY TALKS. HOWEVER, SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS HAD NOT BEEN MADE IN DEVELOPING POLITICAL RELATIONS, WHICH HAD YET

TO BE NORMALISED. CHINA WAS DISATISFIED WITH THIS. HE URGED THE

SOVIET UNION TO TAKE CONCRETE ACTIONS TO REMOVE THE THREE OBSTACLES, REFERRING PARTICULARLY TO THE VIETNAMESE OCCUPATION OF CAMBODIA. SUCH A STEP COULD LEAD TO REAL IMPROVEMENT IN SINO-SOVIET RELATIONS.

5. WU COMMENTED ON THE RAPID GROWTH OF POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC

RELATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND EASTERN EUROPE DURING THE LAST YEAR. HE

SAID THAT CHINA WOULD CONTINUE TO DEVELOP RELATIONS WITH THESE

COUNTRIES ON THE BASIS OF THE POLICY OF PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE WITH

RESPECT TO GUIDELINES THAT EACH COUNTRY SHOULD TAKE ON ITS POLICIES

IN LINE WITH ITS OWN CONDITIONS AND THAT NO COUNTRY WOULD BE ALLOWED

TO IMPOSE ITS POLICY ON OTHERS. HE CONFIRMED THAT ZHAO ZIYANG WILL VISIT BULGARIA, HUNGARY, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, POLAND AND THE GDR THIS YEAR, AND ADDED THAT LEADERS FROM SEVERAL EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES WILL VISIT CHINA. WU ALSO COMMENTED ON THE GROWTH OF RELATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND WESTERN EUROPE, AND ADDED THAT HE BELIEVED THAT 30TH EASTERN AND WESTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES WERE IMPORTANT FORCES IN

SAFF-GUARDING NOPLD PEACE.

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