07 JUN '91 11:46
P.11
Q:
A:
If you
discussed in the P5. The French, as you saw earlier this week, have put forward also a proposition that we should discuss and France have now said that they will sign up to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, that will only leave China as one of the major 5 powers that aren't a signatory to the NPT. So we are already making steps forward. This is a very difficult area and it is an area that we are going to concentrate on. look at the major arms sales countries, you will find that the P5, which includes China, Britain, America, the Soviet Union and France, account for 85% of global arms sales. Now that actually is the hope for the future. Because 85% are in those 5 countries and given the fact
of what we have achieved in the UN over the last year,
that is a good basis for discussion. Now there is undoubtedly a lot of thought going on. We are doing a tremendous amount of thinking within the government. The Prime Minister has put forward his initiative,
!
Mitterand has, Bush has. Now let's get together and see if we can take it forward.
And you are confident that China will come in with whatever the others are proposing?
I am sure China will have its own views and what we want to hear is those views. We want to bring China in on this and the UN is one very good avenue for getting
discussion.
Q: The Anglo/China relationship is sort of blowing hot and cold. What is the most important consideration in your relationship with China and what way is it going at the
moment?
A:
The background picture to our relationship with China I think is good still. There is as I say the common interest we have in the P5, arms sales we have just been discussing, the Middle East, Cambodia which we touched
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