CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 1608OOZ F C O
TELNO 702
OF 16072OZ MAY 91
CONFIDENTIAL
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, WASHINGTON
@
MAT3 090/4
MEN
83
031375
MDHIAN 6820
TOP COPY Q DIST?
YOUR TELNO 531 : MFN STATUS FOR CHINA : CALL ON SONG MINGJIANG :
16 MAY.
1. I CALLED ON SONG MINGJIANG (ACTING DIRECTOR, WESTERN EUROPEAN DEPARTMENT, MFA) ON 16 MAY AND SPOKE AS INSTRUCTED IN TUR.
2. READING FROM A PREPARED STATEMENT SONG MADE A FEW COMMENTS ON A PERSONAL BASIS. HE WAS SURE WE WERE ALREADY AWARE OF THE CHINESE POSITION ON MFN AS MADE CLEAR BY THE SPOKESMEN FROM THE MFA AND
MOFERT. HE REAFFIRMED THAT THE ARRANGEMENT OF MFN STATUS BETWEEN
CHINA AND THE US WAS NOT SOMETHING CONFERRED ON CHINA BY THE US
BUT WAS A RECIPROCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN TWO STATES. ANY CONDITION PUT FORWARD BY THE US GOVERNMENT ON HUMAN RIGHTS, NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION AND TRADE COULD NOT BE ACCEPTED BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, NOR WERE THEY CONDUCIVE TO SOLVING THE PROBLEM. IF THE US UNILATERALLY REVOKED CHINA'S MEN STATUS OR EXTENDED IT CONDITIONALLY, THIS WOULD GREATLY UNDERMINE THE SINO-US TRADE RELATIONSHIP AND WOULD AFFECT HONG KONG AND THE US ITSELF. SUCH UNDERMINING OF SINO-US RELATIONS WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE ECONORIC STABILITY OF THE WHOLE OF SE ASIA. CHINA DID NOT WANT TO SEE THIS HAPPEN.
3. SONG CONTINUED THAT CHINA WOULD PREPARE FOR THE WORST IN CASE THE US, TOTALLY DISREGARDING THE OVERALL INTERESTS OF SINO-US RELATIONS, SHOULD UNILATERALLY REVOKE CHINA'S MFN STATUS. IT WAS NOT ADVISABLE FOR THE US TO TRY TO PRESSURISE CHINA. CHINA WAS A BIG COUNTRY WITH PLENTY OF ROOM FOR FURTHER MANOEUVRE. IT HAD ALREADY PREPARED FOR THE WORST.
4. SONG COMMENTED THAT THE QUESTION OF MFN STATUS BETWEEN CHINA AND THE US HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CONSULTATIONS UNDERWAY BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN OVER HONG KONG. THE TWO ISSUES COULD NOT BE COUPLED. IN 1990, MRS THATCHER HAD PERSONALLY WRITTEN TO PRESIDENT BUSH IN SUPPORT OF THE EXTENSION OF MFN STATUS TO CHINA. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD REALLY APPRECIATED THIS POSITIVE EFFORT AND HOPED THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT,
1
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL
IN
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.