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141555 MDLIAN 5504
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FM OTTAWA
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 117
OF 062236Z APRIL 93
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, PEKING
34
int sup. ри
MY TELNO 93: VISIT BY MR JOE CLARK TO CHINA AND HONG KONG
SUMMARY
1. A PRODUCTIVE VISIT, WITH COMMERCIAL AS WELL AS POLITICAL OBJECTIVES. ON HONG KONG BOTH QIAN QICHEN AND LI PENG REITERATED CHINA'S POSITION FIRMLY BUT CALMLY.
DETAIL
2. ON 6 APRIL BRIGGS, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE DEA'S NORTH ASIA RELATIONS DIVISION, BRIEFED EC REPRESENTATIVES. IN PEKING (26-28 MARCH) CLARK MET THE FOREIGN MINISTER, THE PREMIER AND TWO VICE-PREMIERS.
3.
BRIGGS SAID CLARK WAS CONCERNED THROUGHOUT TO EMPHASISE THAT CANADA TOOK THE POLITICAL RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA SERIOUSLY: THAT IT WOULD CONTINUE TO PRESS HUMAN RIGHTS: THAT IT VALUED THE BILATERAL ECONOMIC AND TRADE RELATIONSHIP: AND THAT IT HAD AN IMPORTANT STAKE IN HONG KONG AND HOPED FOR A SMOOTH TRANSITION THROUGH 1997.
4.
CLARK'S MEETING WITH THE FOREIGN MINISTER WAS PRICKLY. CLARK LED OFF ON HUMAN RIGHTS, ON WHICH QIAN QICHEN WAS BLUNT AND UNCOMPROMISING. ON CTB AND NON-PROLIFERATION ISSUES QIAN CLAIMED THAT CHINA NEEDED TO CONTINUE NUCLEAR TESTING, THAT NUCLEAR COOPERATION WITH OTHER COUNTRIES WAS ONLY FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES, AND THAT IT WAS NOT THE TIME TO TAKE DRASTIC MEASURES AGAINST NORTH KOREA'S WITHDRAWAL FROM THE NPT. DISCUSSION WAS EASIER ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, AND THE TWO COUNTRIES WILL SOON SIGN AN UNDERSTANDING ON ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION. ON HONG KONG CLARK STRESSED CANADA'S SUPPORT FOR THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS AND ITS INTEREST IN HONG KONG'S STABILITY, PROSPERITY AND AUTONOMY, WHILE MAKING CLEAR THAT CANADA WOULD NOT INTERVENE: IT WAS FOR THE UK, CHINESE AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS TO SETTLE HONG KONG'S FUTURE. QIAN STATED THE CHINESE POSITION IN STANDARD TERMS.
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HKCD (26/
07 APR 1993
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