RATHER LESS EXALTED CAPACITY THAN TODAY. OVER THIS TIME SING- BRITISH LINKS IN A WHOLE RANGE OF FIELDS HAVE MULTIPLIED POLITICAL, COMMERCIAL, EDUCATIONAL, CULTURAL, DEFENCE, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. OUR TRADE HAS EXPANDED, THOUGH NOT AS MUCH AS I SHOULD LIKE TO SEE. WE WELCOME THE RECENT EXPANSION OF CHINESE EXPORTS TO BRITAIN. WE DO NOT INSIST ON BALANCED TRADE, THOUGH WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN INCREASE IN OUR EXPORTS TO CHINA AS WELL AS AN INCREASE IN THE OVERALL VOLUME OF TRADE. BRITISH INDUSTRY HAS GREATLY IMPROVED ITS PRODUCTIVITY AND COMPETITIVENESS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. IT NOW STANDS READY TO HELP CHINA'S AMBITIOUS MODERNI- SATION PROGRAMME, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS WHERE CHINA HAS DECLARED A PRIORITY INTEREST: IN ENERGY, INCLUDING OIL AND COAL MINING., COMMUNICATIONS, INCLUDING BUILDING, PORT CONSTRUCTION, AVIATION AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS., AND IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND CONSULTATIVE SERVICES. IN ALL THESE FIELDS OUR RESERVES OF SKILL AND EXPERIENCE ARE AT YOUR DISPOSAL.
WE
10. BUT THE FRAMEWORK FOR ALL THIS IS A POLITICAL ONE, A RECOGNIT- ION OF SIMILAR INTERESTS OVER WIDE AREAS AND A GROWING HABIT OF HIGH-LEVEL EXCHANGES ON WORLD PROBLEMS AND BILATERAL ISSUES. IT IS AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND THAT COOPERATION AND MUTUAL GOODWILL BETWEEN CHINA AND HONG KONG HAS DEVELOPED IN RECENT YEARS, PARTICULARLY IN THE ECONOMIC FIELD. WE BOTH BEAR ENORMOUS AND VITAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SECURITY AND PROSPERITY OF THOSE WHO LIVE IN HONG KONG. I HOPE THAT OVER THE NEXT TWO DAYS WE CAN DISCUSS WAYS OF DEVELOPING OUR COOPERATION STILL FURTHER, SO THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG CAN CONTINUE TO LIVE IN PROSPERITY, AND THAT HONG KONG CAN CONTINUE ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE MODERNISATION OF THE CHINESE ECONOMY AND TO THE WELFARE OF THE FAR EAST AS A WHOLE.
FOR TH
11. MR PREMIER, I SPOKE AT THE BEGINNING OF MY SPEECH ABOUT THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTANCE BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES., BUT GEOGRAPHY IS NOT DECISIVE, PARTICULARLY IN THE INTERDEPENDENT WORLD OF TODAY. ONE OF YOUR TANG POETS, AS I RECALL, IN A POEM ADDRESSED TO A DISTANT FRIEND, SAID: PROVIDED OUR FRIENDSHIP SURVIVES, DISTANCES MEAN VERY LITTLE., THOUGH DWELLING ON FAR HORIZONS WE CAN STILL BE AS NEAR NEIGHBOURS. I THINK THIS CAN ALSO BE APPLIED TO NATIONS. THE FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA IS GOOD FOR US BOTH AND, I VENTURE TO SAY, GOOD FOR WORLD PEACE. IT THREATENS THE LEGITIMATE INTERESTS OF NO THIRD PARTY. I AM PROUD TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO HELP WRITE A NEW PAGE IN THE LONG HISTORY OF THAT
FRIENDSHIP.
12. MAY I NOW PROPOSE A TOAST TO THE HEALTH OF HIS EXCELLENCY MR
YE JIANYING, CHAIRMAN OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL PEOPLES CONGRESS, TO THE HEALTH OF HIS EXCELLENCY PREMIER ZHAO ZIYANG, TO THE HEALTH OF CHINESE LEADERS, TO ALL DISTINGUISHED CHINESE FRIENDS PRESENT AND TO THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE
EXCELLENT RELATIONS BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND CHINA.
CRADOCK
LIMITED
FED
MR GIFFARD
MRDONALD
нная
THIS TELEGRAM WAS NOT
WE SHARG A COMMON
OBJECTIVE In mythariching
3
CONFIDENTAL
ADVANCED
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