URGENT PERSONAL
PS/GH
1.
HMS 091/2
CONFIDENTIAL
PAO (C) 57/66
سا
US/China/MFN
레드
샐1112
Mr kun ohr When
M Davies, FED
Mr Rellew, MAD
21/12 M Donnel, megs
2. M. Whiteren. AMB
Mr Robert Perito, who will be accompanying Mr Bill Clark this afternoon during the latter's call on the Governor, came to see me this morning.
2.
1/0
Mr Moms o/r
29/12
Perito's
He had some interesting things to say on US/China
relations and MFN. on the former he referred to a recent instruction from Jiang Zemin that China should cooperate with the US and resolve problems through discussion. assessment was that China was worried about its internal situation and the Western spotlight on it but that they would not lightly take on the US. Hong Kong and the Governor were the softest target and were thus receiving the harshest treatment. The French were category two.
3.
Perito entirely accepted the dangers of cross-over between the political situation here and MFN. He also seemed to accept that it would be unrealistic to expect us to stop arguing for unconditional MFN. I emphasised that that would undercut our own businessmen, businessmen in the US who were arguing for unconditional extension, and would do us very considerable damage with China.
4.
I asked about the possibilities of pursuing US concerns on Chinese weapons sales and on human rights separately from MFN. He was interesting on both:
PA MAN
pa.
well
12
CONFIDENTIAL
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