TNAG-1879-FCO40-2670-Student-demonstrations-and-internal-political-situation-in-C-1989 — Page 18

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4. MCLAREN (AUS) AGREED THAT ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES HAD GENERATED

TENSION IN CHINA. CHINA'S OPENING TO THE WEST AND THE GROWTH OF

MATERIALISM HAD CONTRIBUTED TO SOCIAL INSTABILITY. THE CO-INCIDENCE OF THE DEATH OF HU YAOBANG, THE 4 MAY ANNIVERSARY, AND GORBACHEV'S VISIT HAD LEFT THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP DEEPLY DIVIDED ON HOW TO COPE WITH THE DEMONSTRATIONS. WE COULD NOT, OF COURSE, ACCEPT THE CHINESE INTERPRETATION OF EVENTS. FOR THE TIME BEING THE HARDLINERS APPEARED TO HAVE THE UPPER HAND. IN THE LONG TERM THE REFORM PROCESS WAS IRREVERSIBLE AND WOULD EVENTUALLY CONTINUE.

5. MCLAREN STRESSED THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO EXAGGERATE WESTERN REPUGNANCE AT THE BRUTAL SUPPRESSION OF THE

BUT

DEMONSTRATIONS. THE IMPACT ON PUBLIC OPINION IN BRITAIN WAS PARTICULARLY POTENT BECAUSE OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HONG KONG, WHERE THE REACTION HAD BEEN UNPRECEDENTED. BRITAIN AND HER PARTNERS HAD TO TAKE THIS INTO ACCOUNT WHEN FORMULATING THEIR POLICIES TOWARDS CHINA.

6.

GILLMORE (DUS) HOPED THE RUSSIANS WOULD USE THEIR CONTACTS WITH THE CHINESE TO PERSUADE THEM OF THE NEED TO REESTABLISH INTERNATIONAL CONFIDENCE IN THEIR POLICIES, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO HONG KONG. THE CHINESE HAD TO UNDERSTAND THAT REPRESSION WAS VERY DAMAGING TO THEIR INTERNATIONAL STANDING. ROGACHEV SAID THAT THE SINO-SOVIET DEPUTY HEAD OF GOVERNMENT TALKS IN MOSCOW IN TWO WEEKS TIME WOULD PRESUMABLY TOUCH ON CHINA'S INTERNAL SCENE. HE UNDERTOOK TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF OUR VIEWS, BUT URGED WESTERN GOVERNMENTS TO AVOID FURTHER MEASURES WHICH MIGHT INVOKE A MORE REACTIONARY RESPONSE FROM CHINA. GILLMORE HOPED THE RUSSIANS WOULD LET US KNOW THE OUTCOME OF THEIR TALKS.

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