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At this point I would like to question one piece of conventional wisdom about China. It is often said that things take time in China because Chinese people have a different view of time. However, many delays seem to
Rather they seem have little to do with that outlook.
to be the result of paper accumulating on someone's desk, strings of approvals which need to be obtained, and a lack of preciseness in decisions which forces the foreigner to go back again and again to try to pin down what is the policy or what has been agreed to.
China is dealing with a world eager to help, to become involved, to commit its own people and money and resources. But, for better or worse, it is an
impatient world. And I fear that China is losing far too many good opportunities because of the time that has to be spent to get anything done.
It is in everyone's
I want to see China succeed. interests for the four modernisations' to reach their goals. In drawing attention to this problem, I am simply saying that delays and procrastination hinder the very objectives of your Open Door policy. If urgent attention can be given to solving this problem, the gain to China will be unmeasurable because there is a great reservoir of goodwill for China and its people and support for its attempts to modernise. I hope very sincerely that you can find effective ways to tap this reservoir.
This last point leads me to the subject of Australia's relations with China. We have a very good relationship, which extends now across many fields outside the strictly governmental ones.
Your Premier/...