TNAG-1624-FCO40-2238-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1987 — Page 122

CONFIDENTIAL

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CALL BY CHINESE COUNSELLOR

1. Mr Zhang Yijun, the new No 2 at the Chinese Embassy, paid courtesy call on me on 9 October. I had met him before but only in passing.

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SINO BRITISH RELATIONS

2. We agreed that these were now far more substantial than in the past and that while we occasionally saw things in a different light our interests frequently coincided. We had common responsibilities as permanent members of the UN Security Council and this provided opportunities to work together. I encouraged Mr Zhang to maintain regular contact with departments in the office dealing with major international issues. There was no need for him to go through Far Eastern Department though FED could arrange appointments if he wished.

3. As he had done with Mr Boyd, (the latter's minute of 24 September) Mr Zhang referred to China's wish to reduce China's trade dependence on Japan and place more emphasis on Western Europe. This gave me an opportunity to refer to the great changes in the UK's ecnomic position since Mr Zhang had last dealt with British affairs in Peking in the mid seventies.

CHINESE INTERNAL AFFAIRS

4.

Mr Zhang had nothing particularly interesting to say about the forthcoming Party Congress. Most of the older leaders would step down and there would be many new faces. But present policies would continue. His personal view was that personalities now had less influence on policy than was the case in the early years of the PRC and that this trend would become more marked Deng Xiaoping was a less dominant leader than Mao or Zhou Enlai had been and Deng's successors would not have his revolutionary credentials or stature. They were likely to remain in office

for shorter periods.

5.

I asked about the situation in Tibet. Mr Zhang said that the recent disturbances had been unfortunate. In his view they were connected with the Dalai Lama's visit to the US and statements made by congressional leaders. The disturbances would not, however, lead to any change in China's liberalisation policies. I remarked that historically problems tended to arise when a situation was improving, not when it was getting

worse.

CONFIDENTIAL

/ HONG