TNAG-2606-FCO40-3797-International-support-from-Japan-regarding-the-future-of-Hon-1992 — Page 88

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MDTTAN 3433

OFFERED THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEEPEN OUR POLITICAL DIALOGUE ON THE

WHOLE RANGE OF INTERNATIONAL QUESTIONS.

CHINA

3. SAITO SAID THAT THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE RESTORATION OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN JAPAN AND CHINA THIS YEAR WOULD BE MARKED BY EXCHANGES OF HIGH-LEVEL VISITS. JIANG ZEMIN WOULD VISIT TOKYO IN EARLY APRIL, AND WAN LI IN THE AUTUMN. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD ALSO INVITED THE JAPANESE EMPEROR TO VISIT CHINA. THERE WAS OPPOSITION IN JAPAN TO THIS, ESPECIALLY FROM THE RIGHT-WING, THOUGH SAITO SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT HOPED TO OVERCOME THIS AND THAT THE VISIT WOULD TAKE PLACE IN THE AUTUMN. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD GIVEN ASSURANCES THAT THERE WOULD BE NO UNPLEASANT INCIDENTS IF THE VISIT TOOK PLACE.

4.

SAITO SAID THAT THE PROCESS OF REFORM AND OPENNESS IN CHINA WAS NOW IRREVERSIBLE, CITING RECENT STATEMENTS BY DENG ADVOCATING THE NEW POLICIES AND CRITICISING SUPPORTERS OF THE OLD. IN RECENT MONTHS THERE HAD BEEN RELAXATION IN IDEOLOGICAL CONTROL FOLLOWING A TIGHTENING WHICH HAD TAKEN PLACE IN THE WAKE OF THE SOVIET COUP. THE JAPANESE HAD PRESSED THE CHINESE ON SUBJECTS SUCH AS HUMAN RIGHTS AND DISARMAMENT, AND WOULD CONTINUE TO DO SO, TELLING THE CHINESE THAT THEY NEEDED TO MAKE PROGRESS, NOT LEAST IN ORDER TO INDUCE THE US TO APPLY MOST FAVOURED NATION STATUS AND RELAX TRADE RESTRICTIONS. THERE WAS A CERTAIN RELUCTANCE IN JAPAN TO PREACH TO THE CHINESE (OR THE KOREANS) ON HUMAN RIGHTS BECAUSE OF JAPAN'S OWN PAST, BUT THE JAPANESE ALSO THOUGHT THAT TOO MUCH PRESSURE COULD BE COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE AND

THAT THEIR (SLOW) PROGRESS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED.

5.

MR BURNS SAID THAT WE HAD VALUED OUR EXCHANGES WITH THE

JAPANESE ON CHINA. HE WAS ENCOURAGED BY THE OPTIMISTIC INTERPRETATION SAITO HAD GIVEN, BUT OUR PERSPECTIVE WAS NATURALLY FORESHORTENED BY HONG KONG: WE COULD NOT COUNT ON CHINESE POLICY CHANGING SUBSTANTIALLY BY 1997. WE REGARDED OUR DIALOGUE WITH THE CHINESE AS IMPORTANT AND WE WOULD BE WELCOMING THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER TO THE UK IN MARCH AS PART OF A SERIES OF SIX MONTHLY EXCHANGES AGREED DURING THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO CHINA. WE TOO HAD NOTICED A CERTAIN RELAXATION IN CHINA AND THE REAPPEARANCE OF DENG WAS OF SYMBOLIC IMPORTANCE. THE CHINESE WERE NOW SHOWING GREATER WILLINGNESS TO TALK ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS:

DURING HIS VISIT THE PRIME MINISTER HAD HANDED OVER A LIST OF CASES OF CONCERN AND HAD FOLLOWED THIS UP DURING HIS MEETING WITH LI PENG IN NEW YORK. TOGETHER WITH OUR EC PARTNERS, WE HAD

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