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FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH AT THE RETURN
BANQUET FOR PREMIER ZHAO ZIYANG AT THE JIANLUO HOTEL. AT 7. 00 PM ON
FRIDAY 10 FEBRUARY:
MR PREMIER, MR VICE-PREMIER
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GER TEMEN,
WE ARE HONOURED BY YOUR PRESENCE TONIGH-T, AND BID YOU WELCOME.
OUR TALKSP MR PREMIER, HAVE BEEN EXTENSIVE AND THOROUGH. , THE
UNDERSTANDING ACHIEVED IS IMPORTANT TO BOTH OUR COUNTRIES.
THE SOUND RELATIONS NOW EXISTING BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES REST
ON A CLEAR APPRECIATION OF THE STRONG COMMON INTERESTS W4E SHARE
AND ON RESPECT FOR DIFFERENCE WHERE IT OCCURS.
WHEN YOU WERE IN AUSTRAL. IA, MR PREMIER, AND AGAIN DURING OUR CURRENT
TALKS, YOU SPOKE OF CHINA'S '' OPEN-DOOR'' POLICY TO THE REST OF THE
WORLD. YOU SAW4 IT AS CONTRIBUTING NOT ONLY TO CHINA'S ECONOMIC
MODERNISATION, BUT ALSO TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD'S UNDERSTANDING OF
CHINA.
AUSTRALIA IS MAINTAINING A-KEEN INTEREST IN YOUR MODERNISATION
EFFORTS. WE SHAL. L MAKE WH4ATEVER CONTRIBUTION WE CAN IN THE SPIRIT OF
FRIENDLY CO-OPERATION AND MUTUAL BENEFIT.
MR PREMIER, WE HAVE AGRLTED-THAT OUR TRADE SHOULD BE INCREASED
IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.
MY GOVERNMENT HAS INITIATED A ' CHINA ACTION PLAN' SPECIFICALLY TO
ACHIEVE THIS PURPOSE.
AS WELL, I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT, NEXT JUtME, THE FIRST
CONFERENCE OF THE CHINA-AUSTRALIA SENIOR EXECUTIVES FORUM WILL TAKE
PLACE IN PEKING. THIS IS A FURTHER STEP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CLOSE
WORKING RELATIONS BETWEEN AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS LEADERS AND CHINESE
ENTERPRISE AND AUGURS WELL FOR THE CONTINUED EXPANSION OF ECONOM IC
AND TRADING LINKS BETWEEN US.
THE FORGING OF SUCH LINKS IS CONTRIBUTING IMPORTANTLY TO THE GROWTH
OF SOUND UNDERSTANDING AND CO-OPERATIVE ENDEAVOUR BETWEEN OUR
COUNTRIES. I BELIEVE THERE ARE GOOD PROSPECTS FOR GROWTH OF CHINA'S SHARE OF
THE AUSTRALIAN M1ARKET IN MANY SECTORS. WE WELCOME YOUR DOING SO AND
WILL HELP AS A GOVERNMENT WHERE WE CAN.
AUSTRALIA, AS YOU KNOW, EXP ORTS; FOODSTUFFS AND R41W MATERIALS WHICH
ARE CONTRIBUTING TO A STEADILY INCREASING LIVING STANDARD FOR THE
CHINESE PEOPLE.
THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN US YESTERDAY, MR PREMIER, TO ESTABLISH A JOINT
WORKING PARTY UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE MIXED TRADE COMMISSION TO
CONSIDER THE SCOPE FOR AUSTRALIAN SUPPLY CF PROCESSED ORE PIG IRON
AND ROUGH STEEL TO CHINA'S STEEL MILLS, IS OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE
FOR THE SCALE A ND QUALITY OF TRADE RELATIONS BETWEEN OUR TWO
COUNTRIES. IN THIS INITIATIVE, WE SEE REFLECTED AN APPRECIATION OF
THE REAL BENEFITS WE CAN EACH DERIVE FROM RECOGNITION OF THE
STRUCTURAL COMPLEMENTARITY BETWEEN THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS OF: BOTH
OUR COUNTRIES. THE PROPOSAL WHICH WE HAVE AGREED TO TAKE FORWARD,
MR PREMIER, INVOLVES INVESTMENT IN EACH OTHER'S INDUSTRIES AND MUTUAL
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. THERE WILL BE GREAT POTENTIAL BENEFIT FOR TH4E
AUSTRALIAN STEEL INDUSTRY AND FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHINA'S
COASTAL STEEL INDUSTRY.
A PROMISING BEGINNING IS ALSO BEING MADE WITH AUSTRALIAN EXPORTS
OF EXPERTISE AND HIGH TECHNOLOGY. IN AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY, THE
DEVELOPMENT OF VACCINES, THE DESIGN OF MULTI-PROJECT CHIPS, COMPUTER
SOFTWARE, BIOMEDICAL INSTRUMENTATION, DIECASTING AND WELDING, AND
PLASTIC MOULDIN3 TECHNIQUES, TO NAME BUT A FEW AREAS, AUSTRALIA'S
TECHNOLOGY COMPETES FAVOURABLY WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD. IN THE
FIELD OF MINING TECHNOLOGY AND TRANSPORTATION WE ALSO. HAVE MUCH TO
OFFER CHINA.
IN OUR TECHNICAL CO-OPERATION PROGRAM WE HAVE SOUGHT TO GIVE
PARTICULAR EMPHASIS TO THE TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY. SOME FOURTEEN
PROJECTS FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE FIELDS OF FORESTRY, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY,
MEDICAL EDUCATION AND COMPUTER MODELLING AND ASSESSMENT ARE
ALREADY BEING IMPLEMENTED. I AM VERY PLEASED AS WELL THAT A MEMORANDUM
OF UNDERSTANDING ON ANOTHER, THE TIANJIN BLOOD TRANSFUSION
PROJECT, HAS BEEN SIGNED DURING THE COURSE OF MY VISIT.
AGRICULTURAL EXCHANGE AND RESEARCH ARE ANOTHER EXCELLENT FIELD
FOR COOPERATION.
OFFICIALS ARE NOW DISCUSSING AN AGRICULTURAL UMBRELLA AGREEMENT
WHICH I NOPE WILL BE READY FOR SIGNATURE DURING A VISIT LATER THIS
YEAR BY MY COLLEAGUE fMRYERIN, THE AUSTRALIAN MINISTER FOR PRIMARY
INDUSTRY. MOREOVER, THE. DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTRALIAN CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH WILL ALSO SHORTLY COME TO CHINA, AT THE
INVITATION OF YOUR MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE HE KANG, TO DISCUSS
AREAS OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN WHICH WE CAN WORK TOGETHER.
THIS WORK COULD BE BENEFICIAL NOT ONLY TO CHINA AND AUSTRALIA, BUT
COULD ALSO RESULT IN A BOOST TO FOOD PRODUCTION IN OTHER COUNTRIES
OF OUR REGION.
THE LIST OF EXCHANGES IN MANY AREAS BETW4EEN OUR TWO1 COUNTRIES IS
A LONG ONE AND IS GROWING.
IT INCLUDES CULTURAL GROUPS, HIG-LEVEL LEGAL DELEGATION, AND
DELEGATIONS INVOLVED IN ANTARCTIC RESEARCH, JOURNALISM, TRADE,
AND SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, TO NAME JUST A FEW.
PEOPLE TO PEOPLE EXCHANGES ARE ALSO EXTENSIVE. AUSTRALIANS, RELATIVE
TO OUR TOTAL POPULATION, ARE THE MOST FREQUENT FOREIGN VISITORS
TO CHINA.
IN THE OTHER DIRECTION, SOME 1,500 CHINESE CITIZENS VISITED AUSTRAIA
IN 1983. LAST YEAR, TJ. O, THERE 14ERE ALMOST 300 CHINESE STUDENTS
STUDYING IN-AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTIONS.
IN 1983, ONE IN TWENTY AUSTRALIAN VISITED THE EXH4IBITIONS OF XIAN
FIGURES A UNIQUE INSIGHT INTO THE HISTORY OF CHINA.
MR PREMIER, AUSTRALIAN ARE NOW MORE CONSCIOUS THAN EVER 13EFORE THAT
AUSTRALIA IS A COUNTRY 0F THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION AND OUR DESTINY
LIES IN THAT REGION.
OUR POLICY IS TO WORK STEADILY TO REDUCE TENSION, TO BREAK DOWN
BARRIERS, WHETHER POLITICAL OR ECONOMIC, AND TO ENSURE THAT ALL OUR
PEOPLES BENEFIT FROM THE DYNAMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR WHICH OUR REGION
HAS SUCH A GREAT POTENTIAL.
I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR TWO COUNTRIES CONTINUING TO WORK CLOSELY
TOGETHER IN SUPPORT OF THESE OBJECTIVES.
AS A FURTHER REFLECTION OF THE GROWTH IN AUSTRALIA/ CHINA
RELATIONS, I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE TONIGHT THAT WE ARE TO
ESTABLISH A CONSULATE-GENERAL IN SHANGHAI TO PROCEED WITH 1THE
PLANNING OF A NEW AUSTRALIAN CHANCERY IN PEKING.
MR PREMIER, I ALSO WISH TO ANNOUNCE TONIGH4T TWO OTHER DEV. ELOPMENTS
W4HICH I KNOW WILL HAVE POPULAR APPEAL IN BO0TH CHIN4A AND AUSTPALIA.
THESE ARE SPORTS EVENTS WHICH HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED BY THE AUSTRALIACHINA
COUNCIL AND NHICH WILL ALSO BE SPONSORED BY AUSTRALIAN
COMPANIES.
THE FIRST WILL BE VISIT TO AUSTRALIA, IMMEDIATELY AF: TER THE
OLYMPIC GAMES THIS YEAR, OF TOP CHINESE SPORTSMEN IN THREE AREAS:
TOP CALSS GYMNASTS
FAMOUS TABLE-TENNIS PLAYERS, AND
MARTIAL ARTS EXPERTS.
I KNOW. AUSTRALIANS WILL GIVE THESE PERFORMANCES A WARM WELCOME.
WE ALSO PROPOSE TO ESTADLISH AN ' AUSTRALIA-CHINA SOCCER CUP''
TO BE COMPETED FOR REGULARLY.
THE FIRST CONTEST WILL BE LATER IN 1984 WHEN AN AUSTRALIAN SOCCER
TEAM WILL VISIT CHINA. I BELIEVE THIS I-ILL CONTRIBUTE SIGNIFICANTLY
TO BUILDING FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE PEOPLE OF CHIN4A AND THE PEOPLE
OF AUSTRALIA.
TOAST CUNDERLINE ONE)
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
I PROPOSE A TOAST TO THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF THE PEOPLE'S
REPUBLIC OF CHINA, TO THE HEALTH AND W4ELL-BEING OF PPESIDEN4T
LI XIANNIAN, PREMIER ZHAO ZIYANG AND OTHER CHINESE LEADERS AND TO
FRIENDSHIP AND INCREASING CO-OPERATION BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES.