PRIME MINISTER
ThANSCRIPT BY THE PRIME MINITER
THE HON JOHN HOWARD MP
VISIT TO BHP, SHANGHAI, CHINA
Saturday 29 March 1997
E & EO Proo~ f Copy Onl~ y
J. Prime Minister, how impqrwat is it that Austfalia becom~ e involved inthis
8azing cconomnic boorn?
PM: Well this is probably the pst rapidly industrialising part of th world.
It is certaihly thd most rapidly industialising part of China. That in a
sense says it all. If Australia is to be relevant in this part of the world
then obviously it has to be part of the economic action. BR? clearly is
and many other Australian companies arc and I congratulate the men and
women of Australian business who have invested in this extmraodinary
economic phenomenon.
J: Seeing it first hand, have you been astounded?
PM: The visual impact of this intense industrialisation and construction is
quite amazing. You can read about something like that To see so wauy
buildiip, so many mates, so much activity,' to drive along a road that
didn't exist four years ago and be told that every building on either side
of t road is less'than 3 years old, It's quite extraordinary.
J: Anid do y-ou cx* pctt con c results out of the business delegation in the
= nd?
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PM: I hope that in a number of areas there will be. The importance, of this
visit is to drive home the economic links as well as having a political
dimension. The economic links are very important that's why there is
such a sernior and very, very, authoritative business delegation
accompanying me.
J: Prime Minster, if the political links are improved after this visit this
Piime Ministerial visit to China, what kind of impact and flow-on will
that have for business links to Australia?
PM: ' Well, I think they are complementary in a way, although it is fair to say
that in some areas such as wool and wheat Australia has done very well
irrespective of the nature of the political association.
You have to keep a sense of perspective about that. I think the better the
political climate the more beckoning, I suppose, the econonic
atmosphere. But, it is also an interesting fact of Australia's association
with China that in areas like wool and wheat the association goes back
long yea r and it is a vezy, very, old association and on a number of
occasions in the past when things haven't been as warm as perhaps they
have been on other occasions we've nonetheless done quite well.
J: Prime Minister, can I just throw forward to the Ansett opening this
afternoon, what does it mean to have an airline link between the two
couniries?
PM; It is very relevant, for example, to the Olympic Games. And, one of the
things that is occurring in China as is occurring in so many countries in
the region is that there is a rapidly burgeoning middle class and you only
need in peftentagc terms a small middle class in a very large country
and you have an enormous new tourist market. You have an enormous
new potential market in services generally, as well as, of course, a huge'
consumer market for manufactured exports. But the people to people
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links between Australia and China will grow. B3ear in mind that there
are something in the order of 300,000 Australians claiming Chinese
ancestry. Now, certiny a large percentage of those don't come from
China itself, although a growing number do. But the thing that springs
very readily to mind, of course, is the Olympic Gamnes.
Thank you.