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MDHIAN 8144
DEVELOPING IN FAVOUR OF SUCH A VISIT).
HUMAN RIGHTS/DEMOCRACY
4. WATANABE HAD RAISED THIS WITH ALL HIS INTERLOCUTORS IN HIS NORMAL, DIRECT STYLE AND URGED THEM STEADILY TO TAKE MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION. LI PENG HAD NOT TAKEN OFFENCE AT SUCH COMMENTS, BUT HAD ARGUED THAT FOREIGN CRITICS SHOULD TAKE ACCOUNT OF CHINA'S OWN SITUATION. FOR HIM, THE RIGHT TO SURVIVE AND THE RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT WERE PARAMOUNT. HE HAD RECENTLY AGREED THIS IN THE JOINT COMMUNIQUE WITH INDIA, SO THAT 40 PER CENT OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION HAD NOW SIGNED UP TO THIS PRINCIPLE. THE US WAS ALWAYS COMPLAINING ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS, BUY WHEN CHINESE PEOPLE TRIED TO LEAVE CHINA AND GO TO THE US, ONLY 30 PER CENT OF THEM WERE GIVEN VISAS. TARUI COMMENTED THAT THE JAPANESE HAD EXPECTED SUCH A RESPONSE: THE IMPORTANT THING WAS TO KEEP DRIPPING WATER ON
TO THE STONE.
ARMS CONTROL
5. WATANABE HAD RAISED CONVENTIONAL ARMS SALES, MTCR, NPT, THE P5 MIDDLE EAST GUIDELINES AND CHINESE ARMS SALES TO BURMA. THE CHINESE HAD BEEN SHORT ON SPECIFIC REPLIES, BUT THE JAPANESE HAD SENSED A REASONABLY FORTHCOMING ATTITUDE, EG ON THE UN CONVENTIONAL ARMS RESOLUTION. ON MTCR, THE CHINESE HAD SAID THAT THEY WOULD KEEP THEIR SIDE OF THE DEAL REACHED WITH BAKER, BUT THE AMERICANS WERE NOT KEEPING THEIRS. ON BURMA, WATANABE HAD SAID THAT IF CHINA WAS SELLING ARMS, IT WAS ODD AND BAD FOR CHINA'S IMAGE. THE CHINESE AVOIDED A DIRECT REPLY ON WHETHER THEY WERE SELLING OR NOT, BUT SPOKE AT LENGTH ABOUT THEIR QUOTE SPECIAL UNQUOTE RELATIONSHIP WITH BURMA. THEY HAD CONSISTENTLY AIMED TO HAVE GOOD RELATIONS BECAUSE OF THEIR COMMON BORDER: THEY NEEDED BURMESE COOPERATION TO CONTROL THE DRUG BARONS ETC, BUT THE BURMESE WERE DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH, AND THE CHINESE HAD NOT RECENTLY ACCEPTED A BURMESE MILITARY DELEGATION - FROM WHICH THEIR ATTITUDE
COULD BE INFERRED.
US/CHINA
6.
THIS HAD TAKEN UP A LOT OF TIME. WATANABE ARGUED THAT GOOD US/CHINA RELATIONS WERE ESSENTIAL FOR REGIONAL STABILITY AND CHINA SHOULD TAKE MEASURES TO IMPROVE THEM. THE CHINESE HAD CLAIMED THAT THEY WERE MAKING EFFORTS BUT THE AMERICANS DID NOT KEEP THEIR SIDE OF BARGAINS AND KEPT MOVING THE GOALPOSTS. THEY ALSO HAD TO DEAL
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