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11. WAS IT ALL WORTHWHILE ?
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LORD HOWE AND HIS DELEGATION WILL HAVE THEIR OWN VIEW, BUT I THINK IT WAS. THE MISSION DEMONSTRATED, BOTH TO THE CHINESE AND TO THE DOMESTIC AUDIENCE IN THE UK THAT HMG REMAIN INTERESTED IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN CHINA AND ARE DETERMINED TO MAINTAIN THE PRESSURE FOR IMPROVEMENT THROUGH SUCH
MEANS AS ARE OPEN TO US. EACH TIME A WESTERN DELEGATION VISITS CHINA TO DISCUSS HUMAN RIGHTS, THE CHINESE BECOME MORE ADEPT AT ARGUING THEIR CASE: BUT THEY ARE ALSO FORCED TO CONFRONT THE ISSUES, AND IN A FEW CASES WHERE THEIR POSITION IS MORE THAN USUALLY INDEFENSIBLE, THIS CONFRONTATION MAY JUST HAVE INITIATED A PROCESS OF CHANGE.
12. SUBJECT OF COURSE TO LORD HOWE'S OWN CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE VALUE OF SUCH EXCHANGES, I THINK IT MAY BE WORTH CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITY OF MOUNTING A FURTHER MISSION IN LATE 1993 OR EARLY 1994. IT WOULD BE BEST TO ALLOW AMPLE TIME FOR SUCH A VISIT: LORD HOWE'S MISSION DEMONSTRATED THAT A WEEK IS NOT REALLY LONG ENOUGH.
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