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MDTTAN 7025
Mr Bunte
Mrs Bienes Iches does not help wi
(for J. Cole
Mr thums
Mr Ricketts
It
Certainly
FEBRUARY 93
in handling the Chinese of our EC partners fall ove each in seeking
Chinese foutros.
SIR ROBIN MCLAREN, PEKING NFR OF 19 FEBRUARY 1993
Cry
The Therms
,
Dr Z-Sundar,
19/2
FOLLOWING FOR H LL DAVIES, FED, FCO
SINO/ITALIAN RELATIONS
1. THE ITALIAN AMBASSADOR RECENTLY RETURNED TO PEKING AFTER AN
ABSENCE OF SOME TWO AND A HALF MONTHS. HE HAPPENED TO BE SITTING
NEXT TO ME AT A MEETING WHICH LI PENG HAD WITH AMBASSADORS AND OIL
COMPANY REPRESENTATIVES PRECEDING THE CHINESE 'PRESS CONFERENCE' TO ANNOUNCE THE OPENING OF NEW ONSHORE AREAS FOR COOPERATION WITH
FOREIGN COMPANIES (MY TELNO 29 INTRA). LI PENG SHOOK HANDS WITH
ALL THE AMBASSADORS ON HIS WAY IN. WHEN HE REACHED THE ITALIAN
ROSSI SAID THAT HE HAD BROUGHT A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM HIS PRIME
MINISTER AND HOPED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DELIVER IT AT SOME
SUITABLE MOMENT. I DID NOT OF COURSE ASK WHAT WAS IN THE MESSAGE BUT IT NO DOUBT CONTAINS EXPRESSIONS OF ITALY'S WISH TO DEVELOP
ECONOMIC COOPERATION WITH CHINA, AND WILL BE COUCHED IN VERY FRIENDLY TERMS: ROSSI ASKED ME WHAT PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE IN
REMOVING THE REMAINING EC MEASURES IN HIS ABSENCE.
2, I REPORT THIS SIMPLY TO MAKE THE POINT THAT WE ARE NOW SLIPPING
WELL BEHIND MOST OF THE OTHER MAJOR EUROPEANS IN TERMS OF THE WARMTH OF OUR RELATIONS WITH CHINA. THE GERMANS, THE SPANIARDS (MY TELNO 237) AND EVEN THE DUTCH ALL SEEM TO BE IN THE GOOD BOOKS OF
THE CHINESE AT THE MOMENT. ONLY THE FRENCH ARE IN THE DOG HOUSE:
WE OF COURSE HAVE HONG KONG. THERE WILL NO DOUBT BE COMMERCIAL BENEFITS FOR THOSE IN FAVOUR.
ROBIN MCLAREN
YYYY
HICD
021/4
RF
22 FEL 1993
INC
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