RESTRICTED
FM PEKING
RESTRICTED
73
062027
MDHIAN 3361
HUD 021
1/4
pa
RE
1 8 NOV 1993
lut sup
(Europe)
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
INDER
TELNO 1497
OF 170807Z NOV
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG
INFO IMMEDIATE EC POSTS, WASHINGTON
INFO PRIORITY TOKYO, UKMIS NEW YORK, CANBERRA, WELLINGTON, OTTAWA INFO PRIORITY UKDEL NATO, MOSCOW, TAIPEI
CHINA/GERMANY AND EC MEASURES AGAINST CHINA
1. Our telno 1494 (not to all) reported media coverage of the first day of Kohl's visit to Peking, including his invitation to Li Peng to visit Germany.
2.
Today's official media carry further enthuiastic reporting of the visit and say that at a meeting with President Jiang Zemin, Kohl accepted an invitation on behalf of President Von Weizsaecker to visit Germany. Jiang happily accepted: he also invited Weizsaecker to visit China, for which Kohl thanked him.
3. We are not aware that the Germans gave partners any warning of their decision to restore exchanges at Head of State level. As seen from here, the move is a direct breach of the decision of successive European Councils to maintain a ban on such exchanges. The ban was last endorsed by the Political Committee on 15/16 June (Copenhagen tel no 279). On 9 June the Asia Working Group had discussed a Spanish proposal to lift the ban, and the German representative argued that it should be maintained, pointing out that the symbolic aspect of Heads of State visit was important at home as well as abroad (your tel no 351).
4. In seeking an explanation from the Germans, you may wish to ask whether they also intend to disregard the EC ban on arms sales to China.
We are faxing a copy of this telegram to Osaka for PS/Mr Goodlad.
5.
MCLEAN
YYYY
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.