494 { China’s Quest
father, Zhou Enlai.) Li, accompanied by the inimitable Qian Qichen, secured
Indian agreement that “survival” and “development” were the most impor-
tant “human rights” for developing countries, and that the two countries
would increase cooperation and mutual support and faced common serious
challenges. Li and Qian also secured Indian reiteration that India recognized
that Tibet was an autonomous region of China, and that India would not per-
mit Tibetans in India to conduct any anti-China political activities.^14 What
India received for helping Beijing escape its international opprobrium was
not apparent.
In West Asia, Saudi Arabia was a major power. In July 1990, China nor-
malized ties with it. Barely two weeks later, Iraqi forces overran Kuwait at the
order of Saddam Hussein. As tension mounted over Iraq’s aggression, Beijing
sent several envoys to consolidate China’s new ties with Riyadh. During his
visit to Jakarta in August 1990 to normalize ties with Indonesia, Li Peng took
note of and endorsed Saudi Arabia’s decision to invite in American mili-
tary forces to defend the country against a threatened Iraqi attack. “If Saudi
Arabia wants to invite US armed forces to help maintain its safety out of secu-
rity reasons, then we respect the decision of Saudi Arabia,” Li said.^15 Li Peng
also gave Saudi Arabia a pledge to stop supplying Iraq with arms, especially
medium-range ballistic missiles.
With such a vigorous “neighborhood friendship policy” (mulin youhao
zhengce), Beijing stabilized its periphery while confronting a newly hostile
United States, and guarded against the possibility that China’s neighbors
might take part in, or turn a blind eye to, Western “peaceful evolution” activi-
ties operating from their territories.
Opening of relations with South Korea and Singapore cleared the way for
those two countries to play important roles in the second state of opening and
reform kicked off by Deng Xiaoping in 1992.Japanese Assistance in “Untying the Knot” of Western SanctionsJapan played a leading role in shelving post 6-4 sanctions. Japan’s sanctions
were especially severe, since Japan had emerged during the 1980s as the larg-
est supplier of development assistance to the PRC. Following 6-4, Tokyo
suspended a $6.25 billion loan that was to finance projects during China’s
Eighth Five Year Plan (1991–1995). During fall 1989, Tokyo used the prospect
of restarting that loan as leverage to secure the lifting of martial law. Japan’s
leaders saw themselves as enjoying a special cultural relation with China,
closer and therefore more understanding than those of Western leaders with
China. Japan was well positioned, its leaders believed, to serve as a bridge
between China and the West. Moreover, Japanese leaders envisioned Japan
rising to play a leading role in Asia and the world, with a special partnership