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L983. SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION TWO WEEKS AGO OF NEGOTIATIONS OVER GUANGDONG NUCLEAR PROJECT SHOWED COMMERCIAL INTERESTS IN OUR COUNTRIES CAN REACH AGREEMENT ABOUT TERMS OF LARGE, COMPLEX AND IMAGINATIVE INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS: AND THAT OUR GOVERNMENTS CAN ACT EFFECTIVELY IN THEIR SUPPORT. LOOK FORWARD TO CONCLUSION OF MORE SUCH CONTRACTS DURING PERIOD OF 7TH FIVE YEAR PLAN.
SOME L25
RAPID PROGRESS ALSO IN EDUCATION AND CULTURE. NOW AROUND 1200
NEARLY CHINESE POST-GRADUATE AND RESEARCH STUDENTS IN BRITAIN. 800 CHINESE ENGINEERS AND TECHNICIANS IN BRITISH FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL LABORATORIES. NEARLY 10,000 CHINESE VISITORS TO BRITAIN LAST YEAR, AND 70,000 IN OTHER DIRECTION. BRITISH TEACHERS OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE NOW IN CHINA, 110 POST- AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS. FORMAL ACADEMIC LINKS BETWEEN NEARLY 100 DEPARTMENTS IN BRITAIN AND CHINESE UNIVERSITIES AND RESEARCH INSTITUTES. AND NUMEROUS EXAMPLES OF SIMILAR ACTIVITY IN INDUSTRY: FOR EXAMPLE, THE 77 CHINESE TECHNICIANS WHO RECENTLY GRADUATED FROM A COURSE RUN BY A BRITISH COMPANY IN TIANJIN ON OIL RIG TESTING AND MAINTENANCE. ALL IN ALL, EXISTS WITHOUT DOUBT A GREATER, DEEPER, MORE REALISTIC BASIS OF SINO-BRITISH UNDERSTANDING, COMMITMENT ON FUTURE COOPERATION THAN EVER BEFORE.
HER AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, APPROPRIATE THAT, LATER THIS YEAR,
FIRST EVER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY. VISIT TO CHINA BY A REIGNING BRITISH MONARCH.
WILL SET THE SEAL
ON A PROCESS BEGUN NEARLY FOUR HUNDRED YEARS AGO WHEN THE FIRST QUEEN ELIZABETH WROTE TO THE MING EMPEROR WAN LI PROPOSING TO DEVELOP TRADE. WILL SYMBOLIZE STRENGTH AND COMMON PURPOSES WHICH OUR RELATIONSHIP HAS ACHIEVED. AS I HAVE ALREADY SEEN IN OUR TALKS THIS AFTERNOON, DESPITE THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTANCE BETWEEN US, WE SHARE MUCH COMMON GROUND. AND, AS YOUR ANCIENT BOOK OF CHANGES PUTS IT: 'WHEN TWO PEOPLE ARE OF THE SAME MIND, THEY HAVE THE STRENGTH TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE'. (ER REN TONGXIN, QI LI DUAN
JIN). ENDS
2.
GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD HAVE READY ON ARRIVAL ANY USEFUL QUOTES OR TOPICAL ILLUSIONS WHICH MR RENTON COULD DRAW ON IN CONVERSATIONS OR INFORMAL SPEECHES (EG ANY IMPORTANT CHINESE
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