TNAG-1896-FCO40-2690-Calls-on-Francis-Maude--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Co-1989 — Page 19

From the Secretary of State

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

FET 022/2

RECEIVED ...

DESK INDEX

STRY

13 JUL 1989

PA

Action Taxen

London SW1A 2AH

3 July, 1989

(7)

Oce My Mchoren гиповита dear

an

M M L Wax. un Halls

Dear Sir James,

Pa with pps

Tamar

1 Dur

CH

/7.

I understand that you have been in touch with Anthony Teasdale about the application by the Taiwanese. Governing Party to join the Pacific Democratic Union and, through it, the IDU, which will be debated at the meeting of the IDU Executive Committee in Vancouver next week.

I am grateful to you for consulting us about this

sensitive issue. I must say that I am not convinced that it would be desirable for the Kuomintang (KMT) to be admitted to the IDU. As you know, the Government do not

regard the nationalist authorities in Taiwan as a

government and have not done so since 1950 when we ceased

to recognise them as the Government of China. Our

position is shared by the overwhelming majority of other governments including all our major allies and our EC

partners. Even so, and as you know, we have not allowed this formal view to stand in the way of practical commercial and unofficial contacts with Taiwan.

have taken care to avoid any contacts or actions which would have the effect of conferring recognition on the Taiwanese authorities. There is, of course, good reason for this in the light of the desirability of striking the right balance in our relations with the People's Republic

of China.

But we

Sir James Spicer Kt