Soviets Ready to Discuss ‘Obstacles’ to Ties, China Says
China said Friday that the Soviet Union, after years of refusal, has agreed to discuss new issues in talks on normalizing relations. Analysts saw it as a major Soviet concession.
Vice Foreign Minister Qian Qichen said Moscow has agreed to discuss what China long has called the “three obstacles” to better Sino-Soviet relations--Soviet troops in Afghanistan, Soviet support for Vietnamese troops in Cambodia and Soviet military concentrations along the Chinese border.
“For a long time, the Soviet Union refused to discuss the question of removal of obstacles,” Qian told a news conference. “Recently the Soviet Union expressed agreement to discuss this question. I hope this is a good omen.”
The Sino-Soviet normalization talks will resume in Moscow on April 11, with Qian once again leading the Chinese delegation.
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