TNAG-2347-FCO40-3416-Political-relations-between-Hong-Kong--Italy-and-China-1991 — Page 35

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INDEX

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INFO ROUTINE EC POSTS, CANBERRA, HONG KONG

VISIT OF ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER

SUMMARY

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ITALIANS STATE FOREIGN MINISTER'S VISIT MARKS NORMALISED SINO-ITALIAN RELATIONS. DE MICHELIS KEEN TO PROMOTE COMMERCIAL, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL RELATIONS. HE PROPOSED A REGULAR EC-CHINA DIALOGUE AT HIGHEST LEVEL. HE ALSO RAISED A CSC FOR ASIA. THERE WAS NO CHINESE RESPONSE. HONG KONG AND HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES WERE |

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RAISED THE LATTER IN TERMS ACCEPTABLE TO CHINA. THE CHINESE GAVE THE VISIT A GOOD PRESS.

DETAIL

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THE ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER VISITED SHANGHAI AND PEKING FROM 19-22 MAY. HE MET LI PENG, JIANG ZEMIN, VICE-PREMIER ZHU RONGJI, MINISTER IN CHARGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SONG JIAN, MINISTER FOR FOREIGN ECONOMIC RELATIONS AND TRADE LI LANQING AND MINISTER IN CHARGE OF THE STATE COMMISSION FOR RESTRUCTURING THE ECONOMY CHEN JINHUA. A JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT AND A CONSULAR AGREEMENT WERE SIGNED BY QIAN QICHEN AND DE MICHELIS.

POLITICAL

3. DE MICHELIS SAID THAT SINO-ITALIAN RELATIONS WERE NOW FULLY NORMALISED. IANNUCCI, THE NEWLY-ARRIVED MINISTER, SAID THAT THE MAIN THRUST OF THE VISIT WAS ECONOMIC BUT THAT DE MICHELIS PROPOSED A FRAMEWORK FOR REGULAR, HIGH-LEVEL (IE HEAD OF STATE) POLITICAL CONTACTS. CANDREOTTI MAY VISIT CHINA IN OCTOBER: OUR TELNO 819). PROPOSAL WAS INITIALLY ON BEHALF OF ITALY BUT DE MICHELIS HOPED IT WOULD BE ENDORSED BY THE EC. THE ITALIANS WERE WORRIED THAT, POST-GULF, BY THE PROSPECT OF A MONO-POLAR WORLD AND THEREFORE SAW CHINA AS A ''POLE' IN ASIA. DE MICHELIS WAS ALSO KEEN TO SEE CHINA'S ROLE IN THE UN ENHANCED. HE ALSO RAISED THE IDEA OF A CSC ASIA BUT GOT NO RESPONSE.

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