TNAG-1463-FCO40-1989-Visits-by-Chinese-officials-to-the-UK--including-visit-by-Hu-1986 — Page 53

OCMIAN 8486

CONFIDENTIAL

00 PEKIN

FM FCOLN TO PEKIN

211800Z MAY

GRS 1246

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TELNO 476

OF 211800Z MAY 1986

AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

128)

MIPT: VISIT OF HU YAOBANG

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HKK 02612

RECEVEL

2 8 MAY 1986

.STRY

Jon Taken

DRAFT SPEECH BY PRIME MINISTER

1. IN 1984 I PAID A MEMORABLE VISIT TO PEKING IN 1984 TO SIGN

THE JOINT DECLARATION ON HONG KONG. I THEN INVITED YOU AND

PREMIER ZHAO ZIYANG TO VISIT BRITAIN.

AGO, PREMIER ZHAO WAS SITTING THERE.

ALMOST EXACTLY ONE YEAR

WE HAVE BEEN KEEPING THE

SEAT WARM FOR YOU. OUR PLEASURE NOW IS SOMETHING WHICH YOU AND

YOUR DISTINGUISHED DELEGATION WILL READILY RECOGNISE, FOR ONE OF

THE FIRST REMARKS IN THE 'ANALECTS' IS: 'THAT FRIENDS SHOULD COME

TO ONE FROM AFAR, IS THIS NOT AFTER ALL DELIGHTFUL?'

2. YOUR VISIT, MR SECRETARY GENERAL, IS YOUR FIRST: AND WE ARE

GLAD THAT IT IS HERE THAT YOU START YOUR EUROPEAN TOUR.

- WE WELCOME VICE-PREMIER LI PENG BACK TO BRITAIN AS AN OLD AND

VALUED FRIEND. WE GREATLY APPRECIATE HIS POSITIVE ROLE IN THE

DAYA BAY NUCLEAR PROJECT.

YOUR COLLEAGUE PROFESSOR FEI XIAOTONG, IS A FRIEND WHO HAS

LIVED HERE. WE WERE DELIGHTED WHEN HE WAS AWARDED THE THOMAS

HUXLEY MEDAL IN 1981.

3. ALL OF OUR GUESTS HERE TONIGHT ARE LIVING PROOF OF THE

VITALITY OF THE BONDS BETWEEN US. THE RANGE IS IMPRESSIVE. FROM

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