PEACE IS OUR FIRST PRINCIPLE, BUT PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH. IT IS AN ILLUSION TO THINK THAT THERE IS AN EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE. THE LESSON THAT AGGRESSION NEVER PAYS MUST BE ENDLESSLY RELEARNED. UPHOLDING THIS PRINCIPLE IS NOT WITHOUT COST, BUT IT MUST BE UPHELD IF THE TURBULENT WORLD WE INHABIT IS TO REMAIN AT ALL HABITABLE.
6. OPPOSITION TO HEGEMONISM IS A DISTINCTLY CHINESE PRINCIPLE OF WHICH YOU, MR PREMIER, HAVE SPOKEN. BUT IT IS A CONCEPT WE IN WESTERN EUROPE UNDERSTAND. SO DO THE PEOPLES OF EASTERN EUROPE, WHO ARE STILL STRIVING FOR INDEPENDENCE 37 YEARS AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR. IT IS BECAUSE OF OUR OPPOSITION TO HEGEMONISM THAT WE
IN EUROPE ARE DETERMINED TO RESIST MILITARY AND POLITICAL PRESSURES TO ERODE OUR INDEPENDENCE AND TO INFLUENCE OUR FORM OF GOVERNMENT AND WAY OF LIFE. THIS IS WHY WE HAVE JOINED TOGETHER IN NATO IN A FREE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTRIES UNITED NOT ONLY BY COMMON POLITICAL PHILOSOPHIES, BUT BY THE WILL TO RESIST.
7. RETREAT FROM UNPLEASANT REALITIES INTO COMFORTING ILLUSIONS
RARELY SOLVES ANY PROBLEMS. BUT THERE ARE ALSO SOME COMFORTING
REALITIES IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. ONE IS THE GROWING UNITY OF
PURPOSE OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY. ANOTHER IS THE FUNDAMENTAL STRENGTH OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC ALLIANCE ON WHICH WESTERN SECURITY AND PROSPERITY ARE FOUNDED. WE ARE CONSTANTLY TAKING THE TEMPERATURE
OF BOTH THESE ORGANIZATIONS. BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT EITHER
HAS A FEVER, BUT ONLY THAT WE IN THE WEST ARE INDULGING OUR
TRADITIONAL PREDILECTION FOR DISCUSSION AND DEBATE.
8. NOR ARE WE IN ANY WAY INSENSITIVE TO THE CONCERNS, PARTICULARLY
THE ECONOMIC CONCERNS, OF THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. BECAUSE OF
HER HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE AND HER ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN THE
COMMONWEALTH, BRITAIN IS PARTICULARLY RESPONSIVE TO THESE PRE-
OCCUPATIONS. WE ARE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO HELP IN THREE MAJOR
RESPECTS. FIRSTLY, WE ARE CONTINUING A LARGE AID PROGRAMME DESPITE
OUR NEED TO RESTRAIN PUBLIC EXPENDITURE. SECONDLY BUT EQUALLY
IMPORTANTLY - WE ARE MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS AND FIRMS TO PLAY THEIR PART, FOR EXAMPLE BY THE REMOVAL OF EXCHANGE CONTROL RESTRICTIONS, WHICH HAS ENCOURAGED PRIVATE INVESTMENT ABROAD, AND THE OPEN TRADING SYSTEM. WE ARE NOT ASHAMED TO ADMIT
A DEGREE OF SELF-INTEREST IN OUR ACTIONS. WE KNOW THAT THE LONG-
TERM PROSPERITY OF THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IS LINKED WITH OUR OWN.
I HOPE THIS WILL BE KEPT IN MIND AS PREPARATORY DISCUSSIONS ON
GLOBAL NEGOTIATIONS GO FORWARD IN NEW YORK.
9. SINCE MY FIRST VISIT IN 1977 THERE HAVE BEEN MANY CHANGES IN
THE WORLD, AND THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES IN CHINA TOO. ONE CHANGE
WHICH GIVES ME PARTICULAR ENCOURAGEMENT IS THE WAY IN WHICH SINO-
BRITISH RELATIONS HAVE DEVELOPED. MANY OF THE MINISTERS IN MY
GOVERNMENT HAVE BEEN HERE AS YOUR GUESTS. WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
WELCOME MANY OF YOUR OWN LEADERS IN BRITAIN, INCLUDING YOURSELF,
MR PREMIER, THOUGH AT THAT TIME, THOUGH PRESIDING OVER THE DESTINIES OF SOME 100 MILLION PEOPLE IN SZECHUAN, YOU WERE IN A
/RATHER
CONFIDENMAL
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