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WHICH PRESERVE THE AUTONOMY AND INDIVIDUALITY OF THE
SOCIETIES AFFECTED.
(4) BOTH OUR COUNTRIES HAVE CHANGED IN THE SEVEN YEARS SINCE MY
FIRST VISITS HERE. AND CHANGED FOR THE BETTER. IN CHINA, A NEW
ATMOSPHERE OF CONFIDENCE AND DYNAMISM HAS BEEN REFLECTED IN
STEADY ECONOMIC GROWTH OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS AND INCREASED
OPENING TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD. IN AGRICULTURE, YOU HAVE HAD
CONSECUTIVE RECORD HARVESTS FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS: CHINA IS NOW
THE WORLD'S FOREMOST GRAIN PRODUCER. THESE ARE THE FIRST FRUITS
OF THE PROCESS OF REFORMS WHICH YOU HAVE INSTIGATED. YOU ARE NOW
EMBARKING ON AN AMBITIOUS PROGRAMME OF INDUSTRIAL REFORM. WE
WATCH THIS PROCESS OF CHANGE WITH ADMIRATION AND INTENSE
INTEREST. IN BRITAIN, WE HAVE SUCCEEDED IN CONTROLLING
INFLATION, INCREASING INDUSTRIAL EFFICIENCY AND OUTPUT AND, MOST
IMPORTANT, CHANGING ATTITUDES. WE TOO ARE CREATING A BRIGHTER AND
MORE CHALLENGING FUTURE FOR OUR PEOPLE. THE MOST BASIC PRINCIPLE
WHICH BOTH OUR GOVERNMENTS ARE APPLYING IS COURAGE TO BE
OBJECTIVE IN ANALYSING PROBLEMS
THE TRUTH FROM FACTS.
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AS YOU WOULD PUT IT, TO SEEK
(5) WHEN I LAST CAME TO CHINA, THE QUESTION OF THE FUTURE OF
HONG KONG WAS A PROBLEM TO BE RESOLVED BETWEEN US. THE
NEGOTIATIONS WHOSE SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION WE MARKED TODAY HAVE NOT
ONLY ACHIEVED THIS AND HAVE GIVEN SOLID GROUNDS FOR CONFIDENCE TO
THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. THEY HAVE ALSO BROUGHT BRITAIN AND
CHINA CLOSER TOGETHER. THEY HAVE GIVEN FRESH IMPETUS TO THE
EFFORTS OF BOTH COUNTRIES TO DEVELOP STRONG AND WIDE-RANGING
RELATIONS BETWEEN US. EXCELLENT PROSPECTS FOR STRENGTHENING
CULTURAL LINKS ALREADY EXIST. AND THE POTENTIAL FOR ECONOMIC
CO-OPERATION IS NOW GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE. IN MANY OF THE
AREAS WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL TO YOUR MODERNISATION PLANS BRITAIN HAS
A GREAT DEAL OF EXPERIENCE. I BELIEVE WE IN BRITAIN CAN MAKE AN
ENORMOUS CONTRIBUTION TO HELPING YOU BUILD A STRONG AND
PROSPEROUS CHINA. WE LOOK FORWARD TO DOING SO.
(6) STRENGTH AND PROSPERITY AT HOME REQUIRE PEACE AND STABILITY
ABROAD. AS CHAIRMAN DENG HAS SAID: 'LIKE THE REST OF THE PEOPLE
OF THE WORLD, WE REALLY NEED A PEACEFUL ENVIRONMENT'. HOW TRUE
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