TNAG-2244-FCO40-3225-Most-favoured-nation-status-for-China-impact-on-Hong-Kong-1991 — Page 23

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MDLIAN

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CHINESE REPORTING

4.

THE VISIT WAS REPORTED AT LENGTH IN THE CHINESE PRESS AND ON CHINESE TELEVISION ALTHOUGH IT WAS KNOCKED OFF TOP BILLING BY THE

VISIT OF THE AMIR OF KUWAIT. ON 17 NOVEMBER THE EVENING TV NEWS

GAVE PRIORITY TO AN INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S FOOTBALL COMPETITION IN CANTON. ACCORDING TO THE CHINESE PRESS, BOTH SIDES EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE VISIT, ALBEIT DIFFERENTLY. THE REPORTS OF THE

MEETINGS WITH CHINESE LEADERS ALL STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF

SINO-US RELATIONS. THE SAME REPORTS QUOTED BAKER AS EMPHASING THE

IMPORTANCE OF HIS VISIT IN THAT CONNECTION (COMMENT: I.E. HE NEEDED RESULTS TO JUSTIFY THE POLITICAL RISK). HE WAS ALSO QUOTED

AS TELLING JIANG ZEMIN THAT SINO-US RELATIONS WERE AT A

CROSS-ROADS. BAKER ALSO REPORTEDLY RE-AFFIRMED THE US COMMITMENT TO A ONE-CHINA POLICY AND SUPPORTED CHINA'S ENTRY INTO GATT AS WELL AS THAT OF TAIWAN (AS A SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY). THE PRESS

QUOTED THE CHINESE LEADERS AS URGING THE US TO LIFT THEIR REMAINING

SANCTIONS AGAINST THE CHINESE. ALL THE TALKS WERE DESCRIBED AS

HAVING BEEN 'FRANK AND SINCERE' AND REFERENCE WAS MADE TO 'DIFFICULTIES'.

5.

THE MFA SPOKESMAN (WU JIANMIN) SAID ON 17 NOVEMBER THAT THE

VISIT HAD CONTRIBUTED TO THE GRADUAL RESTORATION OF RELATIONS. A ROUND OF TALKS ON TRADE ISSUES WOULD BE HELD IN WASHINGTON ON 21-22 NOVEMBER. THE US HAD BEEN URGED TO STOP ITS 301 INVESTIGATION OF CHINA. THE US SIDE HAD WELCOMED POSITIVE CHINESE PROPOSALS ON PROTECTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS. ON NPT, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD AGREED TO RECOMMEND RATIFICATION TO THE NPC. ACCESSION WOULD THEN FOLLOW WITHIN 3 MONTHS (IE. BEFORE MARCH

1992). THE CHINESE COULD CONSIDER JOINING THE MTCR PROVIDING THE

US ABOLISHED THE THREE SANCTIONS INTRODUCED ON 16 JUNE 1991. (COMMENT: THE ORIGINAL CHINESE WAS 'COULD INVESTIGATE'. LATER AMENDED BY THE MFA AND NCNA TO 'COULD CONSIDER' AN EVEN WEAKER FORMULA.) WU SAID THAT THE US SIDE HAD UNDERTAKEN TO WORK TO THAT END.

6.

THIS WAS

WU SAID THAT THE TWO SIDES HAD DISCUSSED KOREA. CHINA WELCOMED ALL MOVES TO A NUCLEAR-FREE KOREA AND WAS PREPARED TO WORK WITH ALL PARTIES TOWARDS THAT GOAL. EVERYONE SHOULD WORK TO PERSUADE THE KOREANS TO SETTLE THEIR DIFFERENCES THROUGH NEGOTIATIONS. THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT THE TWO SIDES HAD RE-ITERATED THEIR POSITION ON HUMAN RIGHTS.

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