Moscow, Peking Open New Talks on Normalizing Ties

Chinese and Soviet negotiators began a ninth round of political normalization talks Monday amid signs that Moscow is willing to discuss Peking’s longstanding demand for the removal of three major obstacles to better relations.

Soviet Vice Foreign Minister Igor A. Rogachev and his Chinese counterpart, Qian Qichen, led the discussions, launched Monday afternoon at an undisclosed location in Peking, Chinese Foreign Ministry officials said.

There was no immediate word on the subject of the talks, but Rogachev said on his arrival Sunday that he was ready to discuss the three obstacles--Moscow’s support for Vietnam’s military presence in Cambodia, Soviet troop concentrations on the Sino-Soviet border and the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan.

Western diplomats said Rogachev’s comments marked the first time Moscow has acknowledged that these problems should be discussed.

Throughout the previous eight rounds of talks, which began in 1982, Peking has insisted that the obstacles be removed before the two Communist rivals can end their 20-year political feud. Chinese officials say the Soviets have repeatedly evaded the subject.

Rogachev told reporters he will raise issues contained in a July 28 speech by Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev, which called for closer ties with Peking and announced partial troop withdrawals from Afghanistan and Mongolia, China’s northern neighbor.

Peking cautiously welcomed the speech, which offered at least some movement on two of the three major obstacles.

Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping later described the moves as small steps, but offered to meet Gorbachev if the Soviet leader would urge Vietnam to withdraw its estimated 140,000 troops from Cambodia. Peking sees the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia as the most crucial obstacle.

China backs the Cambodian guerrilla coalition led by Prince Norodom Sihanouk which is pitted against the Vietnam-backed Heng Samrin government.

Asked if Moscow is now willing to discuss Cambodia at the normalization talks, Rogachev replied, “We are ready to discuss any questions which are of interest to both sides.”

Rogachev said Sino-Soviet relations are “getting better and better,” and East European sources said the atmosphere for the new round of talks is much more positive than in previous discussions.

Despite their conflict over Cambodia, China and the Soviet Union are on increasingly close terms in trade, culture and other contacts.

Peking draws a distinction, however, between the Soviet Union and its East European allies in discussing future ties between China’s Communist Party and the Communist parties of these other countries.

Chinese party spokesmen say the restoration of party ties now under way with countries such as Poland and East Germany cannot be extended to the Soviet Union because Moscow pays for Vietnam’s activities in Cambodia while East European support for Hanoi is mainly moral.

The discussions will coincide with this week’s visit to China by Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger, who is scheduled to meet military officials and tour a military base.