CONFIDENTIAL
010343 MDHIAN 2132
8. ROWLANDS ASKED WHAT CHINA'S ATTITUDE WOULD BE IF H M G GUARANTEED A RIGHT OF ABODE TO BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENS IN HK. ZHOU DECLINED TO COMMENT: 'THAT IS YOUR INTERNAL AFFAIR''
9.
JOPLING SUGGESTED THAT WHILE THE CHINESE LINE WAS REASSURING, IT NEEDED TO BE SPELT OUT AND REPEATED TO ASSUAGE ANXIETY IN H K. CONFIDENCE COULD BE AFFECTED BY MANY THINGS. TIBET IF HE MIGHT
TOUCH ON INTERNAL AFFAIRS - WAS ONE OF THEM.
10. ZHOU AGREED ON THE FIRST POINT. TALK WAS NEEDED BUT ALSO
ACTIONS. CHINA HAD NEVER DONE ANYTHING TO HARM CONFIDENCE. JARDINES HAD (CF PARA 3).
11. ZHOU THEN SPOKE ON STANDARD TERMS ON TIBET, INCLUDING THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT OF HUMAN RIGHTS BUT
CHINA OBJECTED TO THE DALAI LAMA'S CALLS FOR
OF ''SPLITTISM'
INDEPENDENCE OR SEMI-INDEPENDENCE, NOT TO HIS RELIGION.
ALL RELIGIONS AND MINORITIES WERE TOLERATED IN CHINA.
BUT ''SPLITTISM'' WOULD MEAN BRINGING BACK SERFDOM IN PRACTICE
AND WAS UNACCEPTABLE IN PRINCIPLE. HOW WOULD THE UK LIKE CHINA TO ENCOURAGE SCOTLAND, NORTHERN IRELAND OR WALES TO SECEDE ? THE LATEST RIOTS WERE PLANNED BY A HANDFUL OF SEPARATISTS. CHINA HAD IMPOSED MARTIAL LAW TO PREEMPT WORSE VIOLENCE, AS ANY RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT WOULD. ALL THIS WAS IRRELEVANT TO H K
SINCE NO-ONE WANTED TO SPLIT H K FROM CHINA. CERTAIN COUNTRIES
NAMING NO NAMES - HAD TRIED TO SPLIT TIBET FROM CHINA IN THE PAST. BUT RECENTLY LORD GLENARTHUR, GENSCHER AND THE ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER HAD ALL ASSURED ZHOU THEY DID NOT SUPPORT SEPARATISM.
12. IN CLOSING, HOWELL AND ZHOU AGREED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING FACTS CLEAR SINCE DISTORTED VIEWS COULD CAUSE ALARM IN H K.
ZHOU SAID HE HOPED MPS WOULD VISIT CHINA MORE OFTEN. BRITAIN AND
CHINA SHOULD COOPERATE UP TO 1997 AND BEYOND. ALL AGREED.
DONALD
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