Cablegate: People's Republic of China: 1987 Annual

P 160343Z MAR 88
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2587

UNCLAS BEIJING 06641

S/CT FOR WHARTON

E.O. 12356:N/A
TAGS: PTER CH
SUBJECT: PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA: 1987 ANNUAL
TERRORISM REPORT

REFS: (A) STATE 54781 (B) STATE 42378

1. PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

2. THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA WAS ONE OF THE FIRST
COUNTRIES TO SUPPORT PALESTINIAN GUERRILLAS AND TO
RECOGNIZE THE PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION. CHINA
ESTABLISHED CONTACTS WITH THE PALESTINIAN OPPOSITION IN
1963 EVEN BEFORE IT HAD BEGUN ITS ARMED STRUGGLE AGAINST
ISRAEL. ON MARCH 22, 1965, A PLO DELEGATION VISITING
CHINA SIGNED A JOINT STATEMENT WITH THE CHINESE PEOPLE'S
INSTITUTE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (WHICH COMES UNDER THE
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS), IN WHICH BOTH SIDES AGREED
THAT THE PLO WOULD ESTABLISH AN OFFICE IN BEIJING IN
ORDER TO STRENGTHEN MUTUAL COOPERATION. IN MAY OF THE
SAME YEAR, A PLO OFFICE ENJOYING DIPLOMATIC STATUS WAS
FORMALLY ESTABLISHED IN BEIJING.

PLO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN YASSIR ARAFAT VISITED
CHINA IN 1964, 1970, 1981 AND 1984; AND IN MAY 1985,
HE LED A JOINT PLO-JORDANIAN DELEGATION TO CHINA. OTHER
PALESTINIAN LEADERS, INCLUDING THE PFLP'S GEORGE HABASH,
THE DFLP'S NAYIF HAWATMEH, AND THE PLO'S FARUQ QADDUMI
HAVE ALSO MADE VISITS TO CHINA. IN AN APRIL 24, 1986,
MEETING WITH QADDUMI, FOR EXAMPLE, THEN GENERAL SECRETARY
HU YAOBANG CRITICIZED THE U.S. FOR ITS "BIAS TOWARD
ISRAEL AND IGNORING THE REASONABLE DEMANDS OF THE
PALESTINIANS." HU ADDED THAT THE "CHINESE PEOPLE WILL
STAND BY THE PALESTINIANS TILL THEIR FINAL VICTORY,
RESOLUTELY SUPPORT THE PLO, THE ONLY LEGITIMATE REPRE-
SENTATIVE OF THE PALESTINIANS, AND FIRMLY DEMAND THE
RESTORATION OF ALL THEIR LEGITIMATE RIGHTS."

CHINESE LEADERS HAVE ALSO MET WITH PALESTINIAN LEADERS
ON VISITS OVERSEAS. DURING A 1986 VISIT TO TUNISIA,
THEN PREMIER ZHAO ZIYANG MET WITH YASSIR ARAFAT ON
JULY 25 IN TUNIS AND REITERATED SUPPORT FOR THE PLO
AS THE SOLE LEGITIMATE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PALESTINIAN
PEOPLE. ZHAO ALSO CALLED FOR ARAB AND INTERNAL PLO UNITY
AND ADVISED ARAFAT TO PAY GREATER ATTENTION TO POLITICAL
STRUGGLE.

ACCORDING TO THE MFA'S "GENERAL REVIEW OF CHINA'S
FOREIGN RELATIONS" (ZHONGGUO WAIJIAO GAILAN, 1987),
CHINA HAS MANY TIMES SINCE 1964 INVITED PALESTINIAN
FIGHTERS, MASS ORGANIZATIONS, STUDY GROUPS AND DELE-
GATIONS TO VISIT CHINA AND HAS FURTHERMORE PROVIDED THE
PLO AND PALESTINIAN FIGHTERS WITH WEAPONS, MONEY,
MEDICINE, MATERIAL AND OTHER ASSISTANCE.

THE MFA DIPLOMATIC LIST SHOWS FOUR PLO REPRESENTATIVES
WORKING AT THE PLO MISSION IN BEIJING, ALL OF WHOM
APPARENTLY HAVE FULL DIPLOMATIC PRIVILEGES, INCLUDING
IMMUNITY AND THE USE OF THE POUCH. THE PLO MISSION
REGULARLY DISTRIBUTES NEWS BULLETINS OF THE PLO NEWS
ORGANIZATION WAFA THROUGHOUT THE DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY.

LORD

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