TNAG-1879-FCO40-2670-Student-demonstrations-and-internal-political-situation-in-C-1989 — Page 17

CONFIDENTIAL

HRB 020/14.

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TELNO 678

OF 031445Z JULY 89

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, MOSCOW, WASHINGTON, TOKYO

149

067555

MDHOAN 4308

Enter pai

ANGLO/SOVIET CONSULTATIONS ON ASIAN AFFAIRS: 29 JUNE: CHINA

SUMMARY

1. DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER ROGACHEV URGED WESTERN GOVERNMENTS TO REACT MORE CAUTIOUSLY TO EVENTS IN CHINA. THE RUSSIANS HOPED FOR A RETURN TO A POLICY OF DIALOGUE IN CHINA. BUT INTERFERENCE IN CHINA'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS SHOULD BE AVOIDED.

DETAIL

2.

·

ROGACHEV CLAIMED THAT THE RUSSIANS WERE STILL ANALYSING THE DEEP ROOTED CAUSES OF THE MAY EVENTS. IT HAD BEEN APPARENT SINCE MID-1988 THAT CHINA HAD RUN INTO ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES. UNLIKE THE SOVIET UNION, CHINA HAD MADE LITTLE HEADWAY WITH POLITICAL REFORM. HE NOTED THAT THE CHINESE HAD PUT THE BLAME ON 'HOOLIGAN ELEMENTS WHO AIMED TO DESTABILISE CHINESE SOCIETY'. THE CHINESE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, HAD TOLD THE RUSSIANS THAT THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES HAD FELT OBLIGED TO TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO AVOID FAR WORSE CONSEQUENCES, ONLY AFTER ALL OTHER MEANS OF RESOLVING THE CRISIS HAD BEEN EXHAUSTED. THE CHINESE MAINTAINED THAT THEY WISHED TO CONTINUE WITH AN 'OPEN DOOR' POLICY AND

ECONOMIC REFORM. ALL CHINESE LEADERS WERE COMMITTED TO THE SANE STRATEGY THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WAS OVER THE PACE OF REFORM. 3. ROGACHEV STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY OF THE RESTORATION OF STABILITY IN CHINA. THE SOVIET UNION VERY MUCH REGRETTED RECENT EVENTS, BUT THEY CONSIDERED THESE TO BE CHINA'S INTERNAL AFFAIR. THEIR CONTACTS WITH THE

CHINESE SHOWED THAT PEKING WAS WATCHING VERY CLOSELY INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS TO THE CRISIS AND WAS VERY SENSITIVE TO

OUTSIDE ATTEMPTS TO PRESSURISE THE LEADERSHIP. ROGACHEV BELIEVED THE WEST SHOULD AVOID STRONG STATEMENTS OR RASH MOVES WHICH MIGHT

FURTHER DESTABILISE THE SITUATION BY SPARKING A NEGATIVE REACTION

FROM THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES. THE RUSSIANS HAD MADE CLEAR AT THE

TIME THAT THE NORMALISATION OF THEIR RELATIONS WITH CHINA HAD NOT BEEN AT THE EXPENSE OF ANY THIRD COUNTRY. THIS CONTINUED

TO BE THE SOVIET POSITION.

INTEREST IN A DETERIORATION

THE CHINESE WERE A PROUD AND

THE RUSSIANS, HE CLAIMED, HAD NO

IN THE WEST'S RELATIONS WITH CHINA.

SENSITIVE PEOPLE

1

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CONFIDENTIAL