FCO 40/3274
RESTRICTED
MDLIAN
20
FROM TORTURE, AND TERMINATING RESTRICTIONS ON PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY. SOLARZ EMPHASISED THAT, WHATEVER THE AREAS OF CONDITIONALITY, A DECISION HAD TO BE MADE ON HOW TO MEASURE CHINESE ACHIEVEMENT. YOU COULD, FOR EXAMPLE, SET TOUGH STANDARDS, SUCH AS INSISTING ON THE RELEASE OF ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS, OR OF A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER. ? A SOFTER OPTION WOULD BE SIMPLY TO STATE THAT THE RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS WAS ONE OF THE OBJECTIVES OF MFN RENEWAL. IN THIS CASE, CONCEIVABLY, EVEN IF NONE WERE RELEASED MFN COULD BE RENEWED IF THE PRESIDENT REPORTED TO CONGRESS THAT HE BELIEVED THAT DOING SO WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE OBJECTIVE.
5.
THE HONG KONG ANGLE WAS WIDELY NOTED. IN HIS OPENING REMARKS SOLARZ SAID THAT THOSE WHO ADVOCATED OUTRIGHT REVOCATION NEEDED TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THE DAMAGE WHICH COULD BE CAUSED TO AMERICAN CONSUMERS, EXPORTERS AND HONG KONG ETC WOULD BE OUTWEIGHED BY THE PRESENCE OF SIGNIFICANT POLITICAL PROGRESS IN CHINA. A NUMBER OF INDEPENDENT WITNESSES (INCLUDING THE FORMER US AMBASSADOR TO PEKING, LORD) ECHOED HIS EMPHASIS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HONG KONG. LORD, HOWEVER, RESISTED PELOSI'S SUGGESTION THAT ONE CONDITION WHICH MIGHT BE ATTACHED TO MFN RENEWAL WOULD BE TO REQUIRE CHINA TO ADHERE TO THE TERMS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION. LORD DOUBTED WHETHER MFN WAS THE APPROPRIATE VEHICLE FOR THIS. THE ONLY SOUR NOTE WAS, LATE IN THE HEARING, WHEN PELOSI ROUNDED ON KAMM CHONK KONG BUSINESSMAN) ACCUSING THE HONG KONG BUSINESS COMMUNITY OF
BEING UNGRATEFUL FOR WHAT THE US CONGRESS HAD DONE FOR THEM LAST YEAR
ON IMMIGRATION AND BEING INDIFFERENT TO HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA.
COMMENT
6.
IT WAS CLEAR FROM THIS HEARING THAT THERE IS GROWING SUPPORT ON
THE HILL FOR SOME FORM OF CONDITIONALITY. BOTH SOLARZ AND
AMBASSADOR LORD HAVE CHANGED THEIR POSITIONS THIS YEAR TO SUPPORT IT (ALBEIT IN MILD FORM) AND IT IS EMERGING AS AN ATTRACTIVE OPTION FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT WANT TO REVOKE MFN OUTRIGHT, BUT ARE NOT CONVINCED THAT STRAIGHT RENEWAL IS ACCEPTABLE.
ACLAND
YYYY
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