RESTRICTED
155502
MDADAN 8855
SQUARE. ON THE EVENING OF 26 FEBRUARY HE GAVE A LIVE INTERVIEW TO CHINA CENTRAL TELEVISION (A FIRST) BEFORE HOSTING A TEXAS-STYLE BARBEQUE BANQUET. HE FINALLY LEFT IN THE MORNING OF 27 FEBRUARY.
COMMENT.
7.
THIS WAS A SHORT BUT BUSY VISIT. THE CHINESE WERE FLATTERED BY BUSH'S DECISION TO COME AND THERE HAS BEEN VERY SUBSTANTIAL PRESS COVERAGE LOCALLY. THE CHINESE HAVE PARTICULARLY WELCOMED BUSH'S REJECTION OF TAIWAN SEPARATISM WHICH GOES FURTHER THAN PREVIOUS US STATEMENTS. ACCORDING TO THE HEAD OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF THE CHINESE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, THEY ALSO WERE VERY PLEASED BY HIS ENDORSEMENT OF CHINA'S REFORMS AT A TIME WHEN THE REFORMS ARE BESET BY PROBLEMS. ZHI ZHONGYUN WENT ON TO SAY THAT WHILE THE ADMINISTRATION'S FREEDOM FOR MANOEUVRE MIGHT BE LIMITED, THE CHINESE EXPECTED BUSH AS AN OLD CHINA HAND TO SHOW GREATER UNDERSTANDING AND SENSITIVITY IN HIS HANDLING OF BILATERAL PROBLEMS.
8.
ON CHINA INTERNAL, ZHAO ZIYANG'S PERFORMANCE DOES NOT GIVE CREDENCE TO THE RUMOURS THAT HE HAS LOST HIS POSITION. RATHER IT SEEMS TO SHOW THAT, PERHAPS UNLIKE HU YAOBANG, HE IS NOT PREPARED TO LOSE HIS JOB FOR THE SAKE OF THE UNREALISABLE AMBITIONS OF WOULD-BE DEMOCRATS.
9.
ACCORDING TO THE CHINESE ACCOUNTS WE HAVE SEEN SO FAR, THE BUSH VISIT WAS A FULL SUCCESS WITHIN THE LIMITED AIMS BOTH SIDES HAD SET I.E TO BOOST THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE BILATERAL
RELATIONSHIP WHILE DODGING THE MORE INTRACTABLE PRACTICAL PROBLEMS. WE ARE PROMISED A BRIEFING FOR THE 12 BY THE US AMBASSADOR TOMORROW, WHICH MAY TELL US MORE OF WHAT IF ANYTHING HAPPENED ON MISSILE SALES, TRADE, TECHNOLOGY AND OTHER SPECIFIC ISSUES.
BAILES
YYYY
ADVANCE
5
HD/FED
HD/NAD
HD/SOVIET
NNNN
MR GILLMORE
MR MCLAREN
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Mr Millington, FED
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