TNAG-2362-FCO40-3433-Visit-by-John-Major--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Hong-Kong--Septem-1991 — Page 87

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AN 14121

3 SEPTEMBER:

TALKS LASTING TWO AND A HALF HOURS FOLLOWED BY THE SIGNATURE OF THE MOU ON THE NEW HONG KONG AIRPORT. A MIDDAY RECEPTION TO ENABLE THE PRIME MINISTER TO MEET 30-40 RETURNED CHINESE STUDENTS, FOLLOWED BY A BRIEF SIGHTSEEING VISIT TO THE FORBIDDEN CITY:

A FORMAL CALL ON PRESIDENT YANG SHANGKUN, THEN A CALL AND DINNER GIVEN BY GENERAL SECRETARY JIANG ZEMIN, AND A LATE EVENING PRESS CONFERENCE.

4 SEPTEMBER:

SIGHTSEEING AT THE GREAT WALL FOLLOWED BY A RECEPTION FOR THE BRITISH COMMUNITY INCLUDING EMBASSY STAFF.

4.

I SAID THAT WE HAD BEEN WELL SATISFIED WITH CHINESE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE VISIT. THE PRIME MINISTER HAD MET, AND HAD TALKS WITH THE THREE MOST SENIOR OF THE ACTIVE LEADERS.

THE DINNER GIVEN BY JIANG ZEMIN HAD CLEARLY BEEN INTENDED AS A

SPECIAL GESTURE.

5. THE DISCUSSIONS HAD COVERED THREE MAIN SUBJECT AREAS:

(A) HONG KONG, ON WHICH I WENT THROUGH PARAS 2-6 OF THE JOINT COMMUNIQUE (TEXT IN M IF T) WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON PARAS

3 AND 4.

(B) INTERNATIONAL ISSUES.

(C) HUMAN RIGHTS.

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES HAD BEEN DEALT WITH MAINLY OVER DINNER, AND IN A SEPARATE SESSION OF TALKS WHICH YOU HAD HAD WITH QIAN QICHEN.

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES.

6.

LI PENG HAD EXPRESSED CONCERN AT THE EFFECT OF DECLARATIONS OF INDEPENDENCE BY INDIVIDUAL REPUBLICS ON THE CONTROL OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN THE SOVIET UNION. SOMEWHAT DEFENSIVELY HE HAD DENIED THAT EVENTS IN THE SOVIET UNION WOULD HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON CHINA. SINO-SOVIET RELATIONS OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS HAD IN ANY CASE BEEN POOR, LEADING TO A BORDER WAR AT ONE POINT. HE HAD CLAIMED THAT THE MAIN CHINESE CONCERNS WERE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR SECURITY, NOT FOR ECONOMIC EXCHANGES. HE HAD SAID NOTHING ABOUT

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