The Rt. Hon. Mrs Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland, London
(TRANSLATION)
8 September 1987
Dear Prime Minister,
I had the honour to receive your recent letter and thank you for sharing with me your thoughts on the latest developments in the Gulf. Like you, I am deeply concerned about the Iran-Iraq
war and the Gulf situation.
an
On the question of the Iran-Iraq war, China's consistent position is one of strict neutrality and urging reconciliation. In this spirit, China has actively participated in the consultations of the U.N. Security Council and has taken the initiative in unremitting effort to seek an early end of the sanguinary conflict between Iran and Iraq. Vice Foreign Minister Qi Huaiyuan, Special Envoy of the Chinese Government, recently visited Teheran at Iran's invitation. He held discussions with Iranian leaders on the questions of easing the Gulf tension and bringing about a cease- fire in the Iran-Iraq war, and urged the latter to co-operate with the U.N. Secretary-General and the Security Council.
Resolution 598 adopted by the Security Council last July is
the result of the concerted efforts of all the Council members and reflects the strong desire of the international community for an early end to the Iran-Iraq war and a start of peace. I sincerely hope that the Resolution will be implemented comprehensively. The Secretary-General is now working hard towards its implementation. In my view, to give full play to the role of the Secretary-General will contribute to the attainment of the above goal.
The implementation of Resolution 598 undoubtedly takes time. Therefore, all parties concerned should be patient, keep cool-headed, exercise restraint, work in active co-ordination with the Secretary-General and refrain from taking any action that might lead
to the further aggravation of the Gulf situation the Iran-Iraq war. In this respect, I believe, China and United Kingdom can each play its own role.
and
the
Zhao Ziyang
Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China
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