THE JOINT DELCARATION IS OF THE HIGHEST SIGNIFICANCE TO
OUR TWO GOVERNMENTS AND PEOPLES.
NEGOTIATIONS (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) BEGAN ON THE
BASIS OF THE COMMON AIM FOR HONG KONG, AGREED WHEN
I MET CHAIRMAN DENG XIAOPING IN 1982. THEY WERE
(NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) SUSTAINED, DESPITE SOME DIFFICULT
MOMENTS, BY AN UNDERLYING SENSE THAT TRUST AND UNDERSTANDING WERE
GROWING BETWEEN US. THEY (NEXT WORD UNDLINED ) TODAY IN
A REAFFIRMATION OF OUR CONVICTION THAT
BRITAIN AND CHINA CAN WORK EVEN MORE CLOSELY
TOGETHER IN THE FUTURE- FOR HONG KONG, FOR OUR TWO PEOPLES,
AND FOR INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING AND PROSPERITY.
THERE ARE, OF COURSE, GREAT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OUR TWO
SOCIETIES.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE MUCH IN COMMON. NO CIVILISATION HAS A GONGER
HISTORY THAN CHINA'S.
IN BRITAIN WE TOO HAVE A GREAT SENSE OF HISTORY.
BOTH OUR PEOPLE ARE TALENTED AND INVENTIVE.
THE INVENTION OF PRINTING IN CHINA IS SO BASIC TO WORLD
CIVILISATION THAT WE TAKE IT FOR GRANTED.
AND THE PRODUCTIVE IMPULSE SET OFF BY BRITAINS INDUSTRIAL REVOL-
TION IS STILL REVERBERATING AROUND THE WORLD. PROGRESS, INDUSTRIAL
OR SOCIAL, MEANS CHANGE.
SUCH CHANGE IS NEVER EASY. THE SENSE OF HISTORY AND CULTURAL DEPTH
WE BOTH ENJOYHAS GIVEN OUR SOCIETES A GREAT SENSE OF
PURPOSE. WITH IT, WE CAN TACKLE CHANGE CONSTRUCTIVELY.
WE MUST PRESERVE THE BEST OF THE PAST IN BUILDING
THE FUTURE.
IN THAT SPIRIT WE WELCOME THE CHALLENGE OF NEW TECHNOLOGY
AND WILL MAKE SURE OUR PEOPLE WILL ENJOY ITS BENEFITS.
BOTH OUR COUNTRIES HAVE CHANGED IN THE SEVEN YEARS
SINCE MY FIRST VISIT 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 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 WITH INTENSE INTEREST. IN BRITAIN,
WE HAVE SUCCEEDED IN CONTROLLING INFLATION, INCREASING INDUSTRIAL EFFICIENCY AND OUTPUT AND, MOST IMPORANT,
IN CHANGING ATTITUDES.
WE TOO ARE CREATING A BRIGHTER AND MORE CHALLENGING FUTURE FOR
OUR PEOPLE. THE MOST BASIC PRINCIPLE WHICH BOTH OUR GOVERN-
MENTS ARE APPLYING IS COURAGE TO BE OBJECTIVE IN ANALYSING
PROBLEMS AS YOU WOULD PUT IT, TO SEEK TRUTH FROM FACTS.
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