TRADE
RESTRICTED
131312 MDLIAN 7389,
4. ON THE COMMERCIAL/ECONOMIC FRONT, SOME 40 COMMERCIAL PROJECTS, SHELVED AFTER JUNE 89, WERE NOW BEING REEXAMINED. THESE INCLUDED TELECOMMUNICATIONS, PIPELINES AND PERSONNEL TRAINING PROJECTS. (A SECOND TEN-YEAR SINO-ITALIAN TRADE
AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED IN ROME ON 28 MAY BY LI LANQING AND VITO LATTANZIO. OTHER AREAS LISTED WERE ENERGY, TRANSPORT, INFRASTRUCTURE, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, CHEMISTRY AND METALLURGY > IANNUCCI SAID THAT ITALY WOULD NO LONGER SEE CHINA PRINCIPALLY AS A RECIPIENT OF AID BUT WOULD SEEK TO HAVE A COMMERCIAL BASIS TO THEIR RELATIONS. HE SAID THE AIM WAS TO HAVE COMMERCIAL RATHER THAN GOVERNMENT LOANS. IRI AND OTHER
PARASTATAL COMPANIES WERE LIKELY TO BE THE FIRST ONES INVOLVED.
DE MICHELIS HAD SURPRISED THE CHINESE BY PROPOSING A TARGET OF 1
BILLION DOLLARS FOR ANNUAL BILATERAL TRADE. THERE HAD BEEN NO
IMMEDIATE CHINESE RESPONSE.
HONG KONG
5.
M
DE MICHELIS HAD RAISED HONG KONG AND CALLED ON THE CHINESE
TO BE FLEXIBLE AND REASONABLE. IF THEY DID SO, THIS WOULD HELP THEIR OWN RELATIONS WITH THE EC (PEKING TELNO 753).
HUMAN RIGHTS
6.
DE MICHELIS RAISED HUMAN RIGHTS. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WESTERN AND CHINESE VIEWS DIFFERED AND THAT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF DEVELOPMENT WERE A FACTOR. IANNUCCI SAID THAT LAST STATEMENT PLEASED THE CHINESE. DE MICHELIS ALSO RAISED TIBET AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. HE GOT THE STOCKLRESPONSE THAT FOR THE CHINESE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CAME A LONG WAY BEHIND FREEDOM FROM STARVATION.
7.
IANNUCCI SAID THAT THE DALAI LAMA IS LIKELY TO VISIT ITALY
IN AUGUST FOR THE FORMIGONE MEETING IN RIMINI.
CHINESE COVERAGE
8. THE CHINESE PRESS COVERAGE FOCUSSED ON THE USEFUL (TO CHINA) STATEMENTS THAT HUMAN RIGHTS ARE LINKED TO THE LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT. THE PRESS REPORTS CONSISTENTLY REFERRED TO ITALY'S
POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO RESTORING EC-CHINA RELATIONS.
MICHELIS'S ROLE AS EC COORDINATOR AT THE LAST UNGA WAS PRAISED. DE MICHELIS'S REMARKS ON A NEW INTERNATIONAL ORDER WERE ALSO
2
PAGE
RESTRICTED
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.