WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1984
+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,
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 - AS YOU WOULD PUT IT, TO SEEK THE TRUTH FROM FACTS.
+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 MODERISATION 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.
+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 THAT IS. BOTH BRITAIN AND CHINA HAVE SHOWN THEMSELVES CAPABLE AND WILLING TO WORK FOR A MORE STABLE WORLD FREE OF THE THREAT POSED BY ARMED MIGHT. WITH OUR SHARED GOOD WILL AND OUR CONSTRUCTIVE ATTITUDE TO INTERNATIONAL ISSUES, WE SHOULD NOW REDOUBLE OUR EFFORTS TO CONTRIBUTE JOINTLY TO WORLD PEACE AND PROSPERITY. THE SPIRIT SHOULD BE THAT OF TENNYSON'S RINGING CALL: 'TO STRIVE, TO SEEK, TO FIND AND NOT TO YIELD'.
+MR PREMIER, IT HAS BEEN A GREAT PERSONAL PLEASURE FOR ME TO RENEW THE FRIENDLY CONTACT WE HAD ON MY LAST VISIT. WE HAVE HAD EXCELLENT TALKS AGAIN TODAY. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU TO LONDON NEXT YEAR. FOR NOW, IN THANKING YOU FOR THIS MAGNIFICENT BANQUET, MAY I USE THE WORDS OF A CHINESE PROVERB TO DESCRIBE THE RELATIONSHIP WHICH WE ARE FORGING BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES: 'HAVING ADVANCED SO FAR, LET US STRIVE TO MOVE FURTHER STILL.'+
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