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MDTTAN 8097
HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ON HUMAN RIGHTS EG RELEASE THE TIANANMEN DETAINEES WHICH, FRANKLY, MOHR THOUGHT UNLIKELY.
4.
ON THE CONGRESSIONAL MFN DEBATE, MOHR SAID THAT SENATOR MITCHELL HAD POSTPONED THE SENATE VOTE UNTIL NEXT WEEK (23/24 JULY). HE INTERPRETED THIS TO MEAN THAT MITCHELL WAS UNSURE HOW MUCH SUPPORT HE COULD EXPECT. HE THOUGHT THE DEMOCRATS WERE RUNNING OUT OF STEAM ON THIS ISSUE, AND THE ADMINISTRATION HAD ENOUGH SENATE VOTES TO SUSTAIN A VETO.
5. BUT, HE SAID, THERE WERE THOSE WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION WHO WERE STILL PESSIMISTIC. SOME OFFICIALS WERE ARGUING THAT THE ADMINISTRATION SHOULD DO MORE TO TRY TO MEET THE CONCERNS EXPRESSED
IN THE BAUCUS LETTER PARTICULARLY BY ANNOUNCING SUPPORT FOR TAIWAN'S ENTRY INTO GATT. MOHR SAID THAT HIS OFFICE WAS
RECOMMENDING AGAINST THIS: THE CHINESE HAD ALREADY INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD FIND THIS THE MOST UNACCEPTABLE MEASURE OF ALL THOSE HINTED AT IN THE BAUCUS LETTER, AND MOHR WAS CONCERNED LEST, OUT OF SPITE, THE CHINESE WOULD REACT BY PROCEEDING WITH THE M9 SALE TO SYRIA. MORE GENERALLY, HE THOUGHT THAT SUPPORT FOR TAIWAN WOULD LEAVE THE ADMINISTRATION WITH ANOTHER IRRITANT IN US/CHINA RELATIONS, WITHOUT HAVING DONE ANYTHING TO ASSUAGE CONGRESS'S FUNDAMENTAL CONCERN ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA. HE TOLD ME THAT THE CURRENT DRAFT REPLY TO BAUCUS SAID ALL THE RIGHT THINGS ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATION'S WILLINGNESS TO RAISE ITS CONCERNS WITH CHINA AND POINTED OUT, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT A NEW OFFICE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED TO TACKLE THE ISSUE OF PRISON
LABOUR GOODS BUT OFFERED NOTHING VERY SPECIFIC. STATE'S AIM WAS
TO ISSUE IT NEXT WEEK (TO COINCIDE WITH THE SENATE DEBATE) BUT THE
PLAN
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AND THE TEXT MIGHT CHANGE WHEN THE NSC FOCUSED ON IT.
SIGNED S D PATTISON
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