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RESEARCH AND TRAINING IN OUR UNIVERSITIES.
EARLIER TODAY, FOREIGN MINISTER, WE HAD USEFUL
DISCUSSIONS ON A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT BILATERAL AND
INTERNATIONAL TOPICS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING
THESE WITH OTHER CHINESE LEADERS IN THE NEXT TWO DAYS.
DURING OUR TALKS MUCH OF OUR TIME HAS BEEN AND WILL BE
DEVOTED TO THE VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE OF HONG KONG. I AM
HEARTENED BY THE PROGRESS THAT OUR NEGOTIATIONS HAVE MADE
ON THIS SUBJECT SINCE THE INITIATION OF DISCUSSIONS,
DURING THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO PEKING IN 1982. Ι
HAVE NO DOUBT THAT WE SHALL MAKE FURTHER PROGRESS IN
OUR MEETINGS DURING MY VISIT. THE EXCELLENT RELATIONS
WHICH EXIST BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA, AND OUR JOINT
OBJECTIVE OF MAINTAINING HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND
PROSPERITY, ENCOURAGE ME IN THIS VIEW.
OUR DISCUSSIONS OF INTERNATIONAL ISSUES THIS
MORNING SHOWED THAT OUR INTERESTS REMAIN CLOSE OVER A
WIDE RANGE OF QUESTIONS. WE SHARE FOR EXAMPLE A PROFOUND
OPPOSITION TO THE PRINCIPLE OF HEGEMONISM. WE SUPPORT
STRONGLY THE PRINCIPLES OF NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY AND SELF-
DETERMINATION.
WE IN BRITAIN WELCOME CHINA'S GROWING COOPERATION
WITH THE USA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES, AND ALSO WITH
MULTILATERAL AGENCIES SUCH AS THE WORLD BANK. I KNOW
FROM CONTACTS WITH MY COLLEAGUES IN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY,
THE ATLANTIC ALLIANCE AND MORE WIDELY THAT THERE IS A
GENERAL DESIRE FOR A STRONG AND OUTWARD-LOOKING CHINA.
I BELIEVE THAT IT IS IN THE INTERESTS OF BOTH OUR
COUNTRIES TO CONTINUE REGULARLY TO EXCHANGE VIEWS ON
INTERNATIONAL QUESTIONS. I LOOK FORWARD TO DOING SO
DURING THE REST OF THIS VISIT AND ON FUTURE OCCASIONS.
I ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO A FURTHER STRENGTHENING OF
BILATERAL CONTACTS IN MANY FIELDS, INCLUDING A MAJOR
CONTINUING BRITISH CONTRIBUTION TO CHINA'S MODERNISATION
PROGRAMME.
ONCE AGAIN, I AM MOST GRATEFUL FOR THE EXCELLENT
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