TNAG-1252-FCO40-1585-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 48

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This

Your Premier is to visit Australia in April.

month a Peking Opera Troupe is performing in Australia. Last month the Hunan Puppet Theatre played to very appreciative audiences and thousands of Australians are still wondering at, and learning from, your archeological

Chinese scientists have been working together

with Australian scientists in Antarctica. Australians

are growing pineapples in Guangxi, running an English-

language course in Beijing, exploring the oil potential of the South China Sea, teaching swimming, researching

the earth's crust, climbing in the Himalaya.

treasures.

Australia and China have no significant differences.

Australian people are very interested in China and very

well disposed towards it. A few days ago, we had а

general election in Australia. This resulted in

But the fact is that Australia's policy towards China would be the same whichever political party was in power.

We, therefore, have an essential stability in our

relations, and this is important for the point I want to

make about our future.

I believe there is reason for China considering a

much more special, and active, attention to relations

with Australia than is the case at present. Australia is

in the Asia-Pacific region. It is a highly developed country, but it represents no threat to China. It is neither military, politically nor economically interested in threatening

China's interests nor would it be able to do so even if

it wished.

Australia and many different/...