US embassy cable - 88BEIJING6641

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