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Premier Zhao Ziyang said that he had seen reports of contacts with the Americans, but his enquiries indicated that the Guangdong Power Company were not pursuing formal contacts with the United States. The Prime Minister said she was interested in this news.
She was
aware that Sir Walter Marshall had visited China for discussions
with the appropriate Ministry.
Commercial Relations
The Prime Minister said that Britain shared China's wish to
maximise trade between the two countries. She suggested that China's Minister for Economic Relations and Trade, Madame Chen
Muhua, might visit London. Premier Zhao Ziyang said that China attached importance to developing trade and economic relations as well as an increase in contacts in the scientific and technological field. Although trade between Britain and China was not yet on a large scale, there was a broad prospect for further advances arising from China's determination to pursue a policy of
modernisation. The Chinese Government would not change their policy of opening China to foreign trade. In the coming 20 years the Chinese Government wished to exploit their energy resources, to develop transport and communications, and to modernise their existing production capacity in a planned way. He hoped that British businessmen would pay attention to these areas in particular, and try to be competitive, since increases in cooperation on these matters depended not only on Government collaboration but on the competitiveness of businessmen. He also hoped that the British
*
Government, like other countries such as Denmark and Belgium, would provide low rate long-term loans in the interests of promoting exports and cooperation in economic and technological matters.
Turning to specific issues, Premier Zhao Ziyang said that the joint venture for a float glass plant in Shanghai, in which Pilkingtons were involved, looked promising. The prospects
/
were
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