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the point and would get in touch with the Minister of Education on his return. Next year approx. 400 students would probably come to the UK from China. If the UK wished to send 400 to China they would be welcome. Mr Murray said that the basic problems on the UK side were practical ones eg finding places in academic institutions and accommodation. He illustrated the point by saying that at the university attended by one of his sons, 200 students were still sleeping on the floor of the dining room because no lodgings were available, but he added that this fate would certainly not await the Chinese students coming here! Mr Cortazzi said that the UK side would do their best to meet the Chinese targets on numbers. Mr Sung said that a large number of Chinese students wanted to visit the UK because they wanted to learn "English English".
Mr Cortazzi said that Voluntary Services Overseas was very keen to send volunteers to work in China. (He wondered whether Mr Malcolm MacDonald had mentioned this to Mr Huang. Mr Sung said that he had not). If the Chinese were interested in receiving some VSOs we would be glad to know. Mr Sung said that if the volunteers came to teach they would be welcome. He suggested that the question should be pursued through the Chinese Embassy. Mr Cortazzi said he would ask Mr MacDonald to get in touch with the Ambassador. He added that VSOs did not expect the same high living standards or salaries as contract teachers normally received. Mr Sung replied that China followed the maxim "to each according to his work".
RESTRICTIONS IN CHINA
Mr Cortazzi said that Dr Owen had referred in his discussion with Mr Huang to the problem of travel restrictions. He would like to add one extra point. He understood that the Embassy in Peking were not allowed to read any Chinese newspapers except The People's Daily and Kuangming Daily. They were not even allowed to read the local Peking Daily. He contrasted the complete freedom of the Chinese Embassy staff to read what they liked in the UK. Mr Sung said that China differentiated between types of newspapers. Some were aimed at overseas readers, ie The People's Daily and the Kuangming Daily. Others were chiefly for domestic consumption and were not sent abroad. Therefore foreigners in China were not allowed to read them either. But he would report Mr Cortazzi's comments. Perhaps in the future there may be some changes. Mr Cortazzi said that he thought liberalisation would be in China's own interests. A better understanding of China on the part of foreigners would help China's image abroad. A related point which had been brought to his attention was that the British Embassy staff were not allowed to attend all exhibitions in Peking even though they were officially open to the public. For example, our Chargé d'Affaires had not been allowed to attend a recent electronics exhibition. Mr Sung said he was not aware of the details, but generally foreigners were allowed to visit public exhibitions. Some exhibitions, however, were of trial production equipment: these were open only to different parts of Chinese industry. Mr Cortazzi again contrasted the situation in the UK and commented that if trade was to develop between the two countries, better understanding was needed. Mr Sung said that Britain could send more delegations on inspection tours to China and there were many old China hands in the UK. Mr Murray agreed but said they were not allowed into exhibitions.
/Mr Chu Chi-yuan
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