Gorbachev Discusses Cambodia, Summit With Chinese Envoy

MOSCOW —  Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev told China’s foreign minister Friday that he sees a basis for beginning the “concluding stage” of settling their dispute over Cambodia, and he called for direct Chinese-Vietnamese talks on the issue.

Gorbachev also discussed a likely 1989 Sino-Soviet summit meeting in the session with Foreign Minister Qian Qichen. Qian’s visit is the first by such a high-ranking Chinese official to the Soviet Union in 31 years.

“From the Soviet viewpoint, there was a basis for bringing the solution of the problem into the concluding stage,” Gorbachev told Qian, according to the official Soviet news agency Tass.

“As far as we know, a similar constructive spirit marks the stance of the Vietnamese comrades and the leadership of the People’s Republic of Kampuchea (Cambodia),” the Soviet leader was quoted as saying. “A dialogue between China and Vietnam could play an important role.”

The news agency said Gorbachev and Qian also discussed a probable summit next year. The meeting may take place in April, with Gorbachev traveling to Beijing for talks with senior Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping.