TNAG-2915-FCO40-4190-International-support-from-European-countries-regarding-the--1993 — Page 64

CONFIDENTIAL

20

135277 MDLIAN 1975

пи

lut suppont

CONFIDENTIAL

FM MADRID

TO PRIORITY FCO LONDON

TELNO 41

OF 041128Z FEBRUARY 93

INFO PRIORITY UKREP BRUSSELS, PEKING, HONG KONG

YOUR TELNO 29: VISIT TO CHINA BY SPANISH PRIME MINISTER

SUMMARY

1. ACTION TAKEN WITH FOREIGN AFFAIRS ADVISER TO FELIPE GONZALEZ.

DETAIL

2.

I CALLED TODAY ON PONS (FOREIGN AFFAIRS ADVISER TO FELIPE GONZALEZ) AND WENT THROUGH THE POINTS IN PARA 3 OF TUR, LEAVING A SPEAKING NOTE AND BACKGROUND MATERIAL. PONS SAID THAT HE DOUBTED WHETHER GONZALEZ WOULD WISH TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE IN RAISING WITH THE CHINESE AN ISSUE WHICH WAS ESSENTIALLY A BILATERAL ONE BETWEEN THE UK AND PEKING. I SAID THAT I WAS NOT SUGGESTING THAT THE SPANIARDS PUT IT ON THE FORMAL AGENDA. BUT THERE WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY BE OPENINGS TO RAISE THE MATTER AND I HOPED THAT GONZALEZ WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE IN ORDER TO MAKE CLEAR TO THE CHINESE THE FULL SUPPORT OF EC COUNTRIES FOR OUR PROPOSED MEASURES OF DEMOCRATISATION IN HONG KONG. PONS TOOK NOTE AND SAID THAT GONZALEZ WOULD DO WHAT HE COULD. I WOULD NOT HOWEVER MYSELF EXPECT TOO MUCH OF THE SPANIARDS ON THIS.

2. WE RAN OVER THE EC CONSENSUS ON RELATIONS WITH CHINA AND I EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT ALLOWING THE CHINESE TO DETECT ANY FISSURES. PONS SAID THAT HE EXPECTED THE CHINESE TO PROBE ON THIS AND WE COULD BE SURE THAT GONZALEZ WOULD MAKE CLEAR SPANISH SUPPORT FOR THE COMMON APPROACH. SPAIN'S POSITION WAS HOWEVER MORE ONE OF SOLIDARITY THAN CONVICTION: THEY WERE FRANKLY SCEPTICAL OF THE VALUE OF APPLYING STANDARD HUMAN RIGHTS CRITERIA TO CHINA.

3.

ALTHOUGH COMMON SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP WILL PROVIDE MORE SUBSTANCE TO GONZALEZ' POLITICAL DISCUSSIONS IN PEKING, THE PRINCIPAL PURPOSE OF THE VISIT IS OF COURSE TO PROMOTE SPAIN'S COMMERCIAL INTERESTS. PONS SAID THAT GONZALEZ WOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY ABOUT ONE HUNDRED SPANISH BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVES AND SPAIN WOULD BE OFFERING FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR PROJECTS UP TO A CEILING OF

RECI

HCD Q1/4

22 FEB 1993

1

PAGE CONFIDENTIAL

STRY

ion Taken