TNAG-1464-FCO40-1991-Visits-by-Chinese-officials-to-the-UK--including-visit-by-Hu-1986 — Page 92

DINNER AT 10 DOWNING STREET FOR GENERAL SECRETARY HU YAOBANG, 9 JUNE

1986

DRAFT SPEECH BY PRIME MINISTER

1. Mr General Secretary, Mr Vice-Premier, Lords, Ladies and

Gentlemen.

2.

In 1984 I went to Peking to sign the Joint Declaration on Hong

Kong. It was a memorable and historic visit. It also enabled me to

invite you and Premier Zhao Ziyang to visit Britain. Almost exactly

one year ago, Premier Zhao was sitting here at this table. Since

then we have been keeping the seat warm for you. Our pleasure now is something which you and your distinguished delegation will

recognise. For one of the first remarks in the "Analects" of

Confucius is: "Is it not a delight that friends should visit from

afar"? That is true in modern Britain, just as it was in ancient

China.

3. Mr General Secretary, we are delighted that you have chosen to

begin your European tour here with this, your first visit to our

country. With you we welcome Vice-Premier Li Peng back to Britain as an old and valued friend. His positive role, over the years, in building up our economic cooperation, most recently with the Daya

Bay power generating project, is much appreciated. We also warmly welcome back Professor Fei Xiaotong, who has lived amongst us and

knows us well. We were delighted when he was awarded the Huxley

Memorial Medal in 1981.

4. Indeed, all the guests here tonight prove the vitality of the

bonds between us. The range is impressive. To take but a few examples: in space, our technologists are cooperating on solar power

for satellites. Lower down, Chinese, British and Pakistani

scientists joined together in 1980 in the International Karakoram

Project, a pioneering survey of the roof of world. On the ground,

we saw this year the reintroduction from Britain to China of the

rare Pere David's deer; and the establishment of a London

double-decker bus route from Central Peking to the Summer Palace.

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/Deep