TNAG-1339-FCO40-1771-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Beijing-fo-1984 — Page 328

GRS 670

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 04057.

RECEIVED IN I

203

5 DEC 1984

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

тоб

3/YW

kén

CONFIDENTIAL

DD 04093OZ

FROM PEKING 04085OZ DEC 84

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

WP

TELEGRAM NUMBER 2882 OF 4/12/84

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

FOR FED

MIPT:

PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO CHINA:

BANQUET SPEECH

1. FOLLOWING IS OUR REDRAFT OF PARAGRAPHS 5 TO 11:

BEGINS

5.1 SAID IN THIS HALL IN 1982 LONG WAY FROM PEKING TO LONDON. GREAT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OUR CULTURES AND PERCEPTIONS. BUT ALSO MUCH IN COMMON. NO CIVILISATION HAS LONGER CONTINUOUS HISTORY THAN CHINA'S. BRITAIN TOO HAS LONG HISTORY,. SOMETHING WE SHARE. ANOTHER THING WE SHARE HS TO HAVE BEEN THE INSTIGATORS OF GREAT TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT. I THINK OF THE COMPASS, GUN POWDER, PAPER AND PRINTING, ALL OF WHICH ORIGINATED IN CHINA. FROM BRITAIN, PRODUCTIVE IMPULSES OF INDUS- TRIAL REVOLUTION STILL REVERBERATING AROUND THE WORLD. SUCH ADVANCES ALL IMMENSELY BENEFICIAL, LEAD TO BETTER LIVES. BUT CHANGE NEVER EASY. HISTORY AND CULTURAL DEPTH WE BOTH ENJOY GIVES STRENGTH AND PURPOSE TO RESPOND CONSTRUCTIVELY TO CHANGE, TO LEARN FROM PAST IN BUILDING

FUTURE.

6. IN SEVEN YEARS SPANNING VISITS HERE BOTH COUNTRIES CHANGED. CHANGED FOR THE GOOD OF OUR PEOPLE. IN CHINA, NEW ATMOSPHERE OF CONFIDENCE AND DYNAMISM REFLECTED

IN STEADY ECONOMIC GROWTH OVER LAST FIVE YEARS AND INCREASED OPENING TO OURSIDE WORLD. IN AGRICULTURE, YOU HAVE HAD CONSEQUTIVE RECORD HARVESTS FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS

AND CHINA IS NOW THE WORLD'S FOREMOST GRAIN PRODUCER. THESE ARE FIRST FRUITS OF PROCESS OF REFORMS YOU HAVE INSTIGATED. YOU ARE NOW EMBARKING ON AMBITIOUS PROGRAMME OF INDUSTRIAL REFORM.

IN BRITAIN, WE HAVE SUCCEEDED IN CONTROLLING INFLATION, INCREASING INDUSTRAIL EFFICIENCY AND OUTPUT AND, MOST IMPORTANT, CHANGING ATTITUDES. WE TOO CREATING A BRIGHTER AND MORE CHALLENGING FUTURE FOR OUR PEOPLE. MOST BASIC PRINCIPLE WHICH BOTH OUR GOVERNMENTS ARE APPLYING IS COURAGE TO BE OBJECTIVE IN ANALYSING PROBLEMS, TO SEEK TRUTH FROM FACTS.

CONFIDENTIAL WHEN.