TNAG-1298-FCO40-1653-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1984 — Page 37

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

OUT TELEGRAM (CONT)

Classification and Caveats

CONFIDENTIAL

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くくくく

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Since I became Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary last

year, I have taken a close interest in developments in 4 China.

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It is important for Britain, and for the world in general, that China should be a stable, prosperous, strong and active member of the international community. I have therefore been much encouraged and impressed by the rapid growth which your economy is currently enjoying. I

welcome the steady evolution of your open door policy 10 towards trade and exchanges with your friends overseas

I am

sure that this will be a vital element in China's further

development. Britain and China have much to gain from trade and industrial cooperation. Greater understanding

and friendship should flow from the development of

exchanges in many spheres of activity, particularly

between our younger generations. Internationally,

regular consultation between us

on world issues is an

influence for stability and world peace in a world which

remains turbulent and beset by crises.

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and the pragmatic approach which you have adopted.

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at an

Happily, exchanges between us are now at

unprecedented level. Since Prime Minister Margaret

Thatcher came here in 1982, there have been visits to

China by the British Secretaries of State for Industry

and Energy and the Minister for Trade: the Minister for

the Armed Forces will be coming here next week. At the

same time, the Chinese Ministers of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade, Public Health, Metallurgical Industries, and Petroleum have been to Britain, and your

Minister for Coal is there now.

These and other exchanges have created the conditions 32 for growing cooperation in many fields. The British

Government is committed to doing all it can to build on

the firm foundations we have now laid. British technology

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لله الله الله

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