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Phichai said: Thailand has maintained all along that what happened in Peking earlier this year is China's internal affair and that a foreign country has no right to interfere with it. Thailand is willing to expand co-operation with China in all fields.
After the meeting, Li Peng hosted a dinner banquet for the Thai guests. Foreign Minister Qian Qichen took part in the meeting as will as the banquet.
OTHER REPORT ON THAI LEADER IN CHINA
Jiang Zemin meets Thai Deputy Prime Minister (Text) Jiang Zemin, General Secretary of the CCP Central Committee, met Phichai Rattakun, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, and his party here today [Peking 20th October].
Jiang expressed satisfaction with the growth of the friendly co-operative relations in all fields between the two countries. He also expressed his thanks to the Thai government and Thai Prime Minister Chatchai Chunhawan for their attitude of sympathy and support for China's quelling of the anti- government turmoil earlier this year. (Xinhua in English 1518 gmt 20 Oct 89)
LI PENG MEETS DELEGATION FROM BURMA
(a) Xinhua in English 1226 gmt 20 Oct 89
Text of report
Chinese Premier Li Peng met a goodwill delegation from Burma led by Lt-Gen Than Shwe, C-in-C of the Burmese army, here this afternoon (Peking 20th October].
Speaking about the good neighbouring [as received] relations between China and Burma, Li said that “we should cherish our friendship built up by statesmen of the old generation of the two countries". He said the bilateral friendly relations of co-operation will further grow on the five principles of peaceful coexistence [sentence as received].
Than Shwe agreed, saying that both sides are responsible to maintain and develop this friendship. The delegation's current visit, he said, is aimed at advancing the friendly ties between the two countries and two armed forces.
Li said that there are broad prospects for bilateral co- operation in the fields of economy, trade, science, technology and military affairs.
Li Peng briefed the visitors on China's development strategies and current economic situation. He said that China's foremost task at present is to boost productivity and improve the living and educational conditions of the people. "We must exert great efforts to achieve this end,” he added.
After the meeting, Chi Haotian, CGS of the Chinese PLA, hosted a dinner for the guests.
(b) Zhongguo Xinwen She, Peking, in Chinese 1252 gmt
20 Oct 89
Excerpt from report
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When meeting Lt-Gen Than Shwe, C-in-C of the Burmese army, this afternoon [20th October] Chinese Premier Li Peng said: China's foremost task today is to boost production and gradually improve the living and cultural conditions of the people. To this end, China must exert great efforts.
At the one-hour meeting, Li Peng also stressed: The new leading body of China, with General Secretary Jiang Zemin as its core, will continue to implement the policy of reform and opening up and uphold the four cardinal principles. He said: The closed-door policy is unfavourable to China. Reform is not designed to change China's socialist system but to improve it...
OTHER REPORT ON BURMA AND CHINA
A
Burmese information delegation in China delegation of the information committee of the State Law and Order Restoration Council of Burma returned to Rangoon on 18th October after its one-week visit to China. During their stay the delegation visited Peking, Shanghai and Kunming. While in Peking, they visited the Xinhua News Agency, 'Renmin Ribao', and the China central television station. (Xinhua in English 0848 gmt 18 Oct 89)
Vietnam
OTHER REPORTS
reports return of refugees from Hongkong (Text) A representative of the Vietnamese government this afternoon [20th October] received 122 Vietnamese nationals who had left the country illegally for Hongkong and now volunteered to return home under the sponsorship of the office of the UNHCR. At the reception ceremony, held at Hanoi's international airport, Nguyen Can, head of the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Interior, on behalf of the Vietnamese government, said that those repatriated nationals would enjoy the Vietnamese government's humanitarian and tolerance policy and would stay for some time at the reception station to go through necessary procedures before returning to their families. Neither the central government nor the local administration would discriminate against them; instead, they would create favourable conditions for them to early stabilise their life, Nguyen Can said.
Ms Daisy Bell, representative of the Hongkong-based UNHCR office, who accompanied the returnees to Hanoi, expressed her satisfaction at the well-arranged reception of the returnees on the part of the Vietnamese government. This is the third batch of such voluntary returnees from Hongkong. (VNA in English 1515 gmt 20 Oct 89)
Chinese scholars on "unjust" ruling on Japanese history textbook (Excerpts) Chinese scholars have criticised the Tokyo local court's recent ruling on revision of a
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