RESTRICTED
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1084
OF 150557Z JUNE 88
RESTRICTED
HURB 02711
5 JUN 20
130
136360 MDHIAN 3424
FOLLOWING FOR PS/LORD GLENARTHUR, FED AND HKD
MY TELNO.1034: LORD GLENARTHUR'S VISIT: OUTLINE SPEECH FOR 22 JUNE
BANQUET
1.
AS PROMISED IN PARA.4 OF TUR, WE HAVE BEEN GIVING THOUGHT TO THE LIKELY NEED FOR LORD GLENARTHUR TO MAKE A SHORT SPEECH AND TOAST AT THE EVENING BANQUET ON 22 JUNE, IN ANSWER TO ZHOU NAN'S SPEECH OF WELCOME. PARA.2 BELOW CONTAINS OUR OUTLINE FOR THIS SPEECH. IT WILL NEED FINAL POLISHING AFTER LORD GLENARTHUR'S ARRIVAL AND LAST-MINUTE ADJUSTMENT TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF ANY SPECIFIC POINTS ZHOU NAN MAKES, BUT YOU MAY LIKE TO GIVE IT ADVANCE CONSIDERATION.
2. TEXT STARTS.
(1) IN OUR PART OF THE WORLD THERE IS OLD SAYING THAT 'THE ROAD TO A FRIEND'S DOOR IS ALWAYS SHORT'' OVER THE PAST CENTURIES, MANY BRITISH PEOPLE HAVE OVERCOME DISTANCE AND EVERY OTHER DIFFICULTY TO VISIT CHINA. IF THEY CAME WITH GOODWILL AND WITH AN OPEN MIND, THERE WERE TWO THINGS THAT ALWAYS PARTICULARLY IMPRESSED THEM. FIRST, THE SHEER GREATNESS OF YOUR COUNTRY IN SIZE, POPULATION, HISOTRY AND CULTURE AND ALSO THE GREATNESS OF THE CHALLENGES FACING IT. SECONDLY, THE VERY SPECIAL HUMAN QUALITIES OF YOUR LEADERS AND PEOPLE. QUALITIES THAT MADE UNDERSTANDING AND FRIENDSHIP FAR EASIER THAN WE MIGHT HAVE EXPECTED FOR US, COMING AS WE DO ALMOST FROM THE OTHER END OF THE WORLD.
G
(2) TODAY, WHEN OUR RELATIONS ARE THE BEST THEY HAVE EVER BEEN, MORE BRITISH MEN AND WOMEN THAN EVER ARE FOLLOWING THE 'SHORT'' ΡΑΤΗ ΤΟ YOUR DOOR. HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS, SCIENTISTS AND ARTISTS. THOUSANDS OF BUSINESSMEN. MANY THOUSANDS OF TOURISTS. AND EVEN QUITE A FEW MINISTERS EXCLAM
(3) THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT MY WIFE AND I HAVE MANAGED TO GET TO CHINA. BETTER LATE THAN NEVER EXCLAM. IN THE TWENTY-FOUR HOURS WE HAVE BEEN HERE SO FAR WE HAVE SEEN THE SIZE OF PEKING, BUT NOT YET THE TRUE SIZE OF CHINA. I AM THEREFORE DELIGHTED THAT WE SHALL HAVE
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