TNAG-2789-FCO40-4028-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1993 — Page 50

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FROM: J Q Greenstock DATE: 5 May 1993

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

cc: Mr Appleyard

MAY 1993

REGISTRY

PA Action Taken

DESK CR Tex

POLITICAL DIRECTORS DISCUSSION, 4 MAY:

Sir J Coles

Mr Hum

Mr Jones-Parry,

ECD (E)

Mr Wilkinson,

Planners

Mr Smith, CFSP Unit

Chancery, Peking

CHINA AT THE THRESHOLD OF THE 21st CENTURY

115

@ Mr Fry @CG

Seex. Mr G is pereptive briefing for the dinis was Jimin directly from the W. Pan Sperm N!

1. The discussion at dinner in Brussels yesterday evening was not hugely enlightening. None of those present had, I think, any particular China expertise. More questions were asked than answered, many of them along the lines of Mr Goodlad's Wilton Park presentation

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2. The main theme which developed was whether it was in the EC interest to moderate the drive for greater involvement with the Chinese economy because of political and human rights considerations, or push ahead on the assumption that the growth of a freer market would in itself bring about favourable political changes. The following points came up:

i) Whatever Western Europe did (and the Chinese had so far shown scant regard for the EC as an institution), China would evolve largely on the basis of internal developments;

ii) In any case, it might not be in the Western interest if the political scene in China changed too radically too fast. At present China was causing us only limited foreign policy problems (though defence/nuclear issues needed watching);

iii) The Chinese were becoming increasingly accustomed to receiving demarches on human rights and were responding in a fairly sophisticated way. The Netherlands, in a recent bilateral with Qian Qichen, had given him lists of

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