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PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA 15 APRIL 1985
SPEECH BY 7HE PRIME MINISTER
PARLIAMENTARY LUNCHEON IN HONOUR UF HU YAUBANG
GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE
COMMUNIST PARTY OF CHINA
CANBERRA 15 APRIL 1985
Youk EXCELLENCY GENERAL-SECRETARY Hu, DISTINGUISHED LEADERS
OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF CHINA AND SENIOR REPRESENTATIVES
OF THE GOVERN4MENT OF CHINA AND OF SHANGHAI MUNICIPALITY,
AMBASSADOR NIE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
ON BEHALF OF MY COLLEAGUES IN THE GOVERNMENT AND IN THE
PARLIAMENT, AND ON BEHALF OF THE AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE, MAYI
WELCOME YOU FORMALLY To AUSTRALIA.
YOUR VISIT FOLLOWS THE VERY PRODUCTIVE EXCHANGE OF VIS! TS
BETWEEN PREMIER ZHAO AND MYSELF IN 1983 AND 1984. IT
PROVIDES THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO
EXPRESS TO YOU THE PROFOUND IMPORTANCE AUSTRALIA ATTACHES
TO ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA AND THE HIGH REGARD THAT
WE HAVE FOR YOUR NATION AND FOR ITS ACHIEVEMENTS IN RECENT
YEARS.
UNDER THE LEADERSHIP O. F YOUR PARTY, THE OUTPUT AND
EFFICIENCY OF CHINA'S AGRICULTURAL SECTOR HAVE DEVELOPED
DRAMAT ICALLY.
BETWEEN 1953 AND 1978 YOUR AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT GREW
UNEVENLY AND SLOWLY. YOU TRIPLED THE RATE OF GROWTH AFTER
1979 AND IN 1984I ACHIEVED A FURTHER DOUBLING TO 141.5 PERCENT.
, THIS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED BY A RESTRUCTURING OF YOUR AGRICULTURAL
/ ECONOMY, GIVING GREAT FREEDOM TO FARMING HOUSEHOLDS NOT ONLY
ITO PRODUCE MORE BUT ALSO TO ENRICH THEIR LIVES. MORE MAJOR
TASKS, OF BUILDING RURAL INDUSTRY AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY, TO
MEET CONSUMER NEEDS, LIE AHEAD.
Now YOU ARE CARRYING" THE ECONOMIC REFORMS INTO THE CITIES
OF CHINA. 1HERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN CONSIDERABLE ACHIEVEMENIS.
] HE AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH OF CONSUMPTION FROM 1955 TO 1L978
WAS 2.2 PERCENT AND THAT FROM 1979 TO 19814, AFTER ALLOWING
FOR INFLATION, WAS 7.5 PERCENT.
IN 198' 4, TO HASTEN THE PACE OF GROWTH AND MODERNIZATION,
YOU ADOPTED POLICIES ALLOWING MORE OPEN ECONOMIC AND
OTHER CONTACTS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES,
IN OCTOBER 19814 YOU MADE A FUNDAMENTAL COMMITMENT THAT THE
SWEEPING REFORMS IN AGRICULTURE SHOULD BE APPLIED TO
INDUSTRY AND THAT IN FUTURE THE SERVICE SECTOR AND THE
NEEDS OF CONSUMERS WOULD HAVE HIGH PRIORITY.
YOUR 7TH 5-YEAR PLAN ( 1986-1990) ENVISAGES THE CON, INUATTON
OF ALL THESE POLICIES AND MANY MORE IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS
IN LHINA. iHESE ARE OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE ALSO TO
AUSTRALIA AS THERE ARE MANY AREAS WHERE WE CAN MAKE DIRECT
INPUTS INTO THE PROCESS TO OUR MUTUAL BENEFIT,
WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS NOT EASY. THE AUSTRALIAN GoVERN4MENT
IS TRYING TO MAKE CHANGES IN A SOCIETY OF 15 MILLION.
YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE PROFOUND CHANGES IN A SOCIETY OF
ONE BILLION, EQUAL TO THE POPULATION OF THE WORLD IN 1850.
YOU HAVE OUR ADMIRATION FOR THE COURAGE, DETERMINATION
AND DEDICATION WITH WHICH YOU ARE PURSUING THESE NEW
DIRECT IONS.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASSURE YOU OF THE SUPPORT OF THE AUSTRALIAN
PEOPLE FOR WHAT YOJ ARE SEEKING TO ACHIEVE: A MODERN
EFFICIENT NATION COMMITTED TO A STABLE AND PROSPEROUS REGION.
YOUR VISIT, GENERAL-SECRETARY, IS AN HISTORIC ONE
IT MIARKS AN IMPORTANT STEP IN THE PROGRESS OF
OUR BILATERAL RELATIONS
IT ALSO MARKS AN IMPORTANT ScTEP IN THE PROGRESS
OF OUR REGION TOWARDS PEACE AND HARMONY.
ALTHOUGH WE HAVE DIFFERENT SOCIAL SYSTEMS WE HAVE ESTABLISHED
A WARMTH OF FRIENDSHIP THAT WILL ENABLE OUR RELATIONS TO
CONTINUE TO PROSPER.
GENERAL-SECRETARY, iN THE NEXT TWO DAYS WE WILL BE HOLDING
DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE BREADTH OF OUR COMMON INTERESTS AND
THE WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO CONTRIBUTE TO
THE HARMONIOUS DEVELOPMENT OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION.
IHAVE PLEDGED TO YOU OUR SUPPORT FOR THE GROWTH OF YOUR
NATION AND THE WELFARE OF YOUR PEOPLE.
AUSTRALIA'S GROWTH OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES HAS BECOME
I/! NTIt'ATELY LINKED TO THAT OF THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION.
TWILL REMAIN SO LINKED IN THE DECADES AHEAD AND THE
LINKAGE WITH CHINA WILL GROW STJLL MORE CRUCIAL WITH 1HE'
YEARS.
THE VERY SCALE AND DIVERSITY OF THE OPPORTUNITIES IFOR ", UTUAL,
BENEFIT OFFER A CHALLENGE AND AN OPPORTUNITY To AUSTRALIA
WHICH WE ARE DETERMINED TO MEET. IT IS A CHALLENGE NOT
SIMPLY To AUSTRALIAN RESOURCE INDUSTRIES, BUT To AUSIRALIAN
BUSINESS ACROSS THE BOARD; TO SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESS AS
WELL AS TO LARGE CORPORATIONS, AND EXTENDING FROM AGRICULTURE
AND RESOURCES TO INDUSTRY AND SER. VICES.
I INVITE AUSTRALIANS TO ACCEPT THE HISTORIC CHALLENGE TO
WORK WITH CHINA, AND TO INTEGRATE OUR ECONOMY WITH THE DYNAMIC
WESTERN PACIFIC REGION, OF WHICH CHINA AND AUSTRALIA ARE
IMPORTANT PARTS. HERE IN AUSTRALIA THIS MEANS PUTTING INTO
PLACE EFFECTIVE POLICIES FOR GROWTH, STRUCTURAL CHANGE AND
EXPANDED EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. GREAT PROGRESS HAS
ALREADY BEEN MADE IN THIS DIRECTION.
IKNOW FROM-MY DISCUSSIONS WITH ( OU, GENE RAL-SECRETARY,
AND FROM ALL OUR DEALINGS WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND
ITS REPRESENTATIVES, THAT CHINA FOR ITS PART WELCOMES THE
PROSPECT OF SUCH A RELATIONSHIP WITH AUSTRALIA.
IT WILL BE A REAL CHALLENGE FOR US, BECAUSE CHINA IS
MOVING FAST AND WORKING VERY HARD. YOU SET A HIGH STANDARD
OF DILIGENCE.
GENERAL-SECRETARY H-u: A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN US IN THE
ASIA-PACIFIC REGION SHOULD NOT AND WILL NOT BE AN EXCLUSIVE
ARRANGEMENT. WE BOTH SEEK PEACEFUL RELATIONS AND MUTUALLY
BENEFICIAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR NEIGHBOURS.
WE WILL TALK ABOUT INTERNATIONAL AND REGiONAL ISSUES THIS
AFTERNOON. WE AGREE ON VERY MANY MATTERS AND IN AREAS
WHERE THERE IS NOT AN EXACT COINCIDENCE OF VIEWS WE CAN
SEEK TO IDENTIFY LONG TERM OBJECTIVES TOWARDS WHICH WE CAN
WORK CONSTRUCTIVELY.
CHINA'S ADOPTION OF AN INDEPENDENT FOREIGN POLICY HAS MADE
THIS POSSIBLE. WE VALUE OUR RELATIONS WITHi CHINA IN THEIR
OWN RIGHT, AND NOT AS A PART OF SOME STRATEGIC EQUATION.
FOR BOTH OF US IT IS IMPORTANT THAT IN THE END WE HAVE A
WORLD AND A REGION OF PEACE. WE WOULD HOPE THAT THE
INDOCHINESE COUNTRIES, FINDING THEIR OWN INDEPENDENT PLACES
POLITICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY, WOULD BE PART OF THIS REGION
OF PEACE.
6.
I F AUSTRALIA CAN REACH THE OBJECTIVES IT SEEKS IN POLITICAL
AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS WITH CHINA AND WITH OTHER COUNTRIES
IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC BY THE END OF THIS CENTURY, WE MUST
ALL FACE THE FACT THAT OUR ACHIEVEMENTS WILL BE AT RISK IF
, THERE REMAINS IN THE REGION AN ISOLATED COUNTRY AT
LOGGERHEADS WITH OTHERS, AND TIED VIRTUALLY EXCLUSIVELY TO
THE USSR AND ITS ALLIES. As WE MAKE PROGRESS TOWARDS OUR
OWN GOALS, WE MUST SEEK TO MAKE AVAILABLE THE OPTIONS AND
OPPORTUNITIES FOR VIETNAM TO DIVERSIFY ITS RELATIONS AND
ACHIEVE A MORE SATISFACTORY RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL IT NEIGHBOURS.
WITHOUT EXAGGERATING OUR CAPACITY, AUSTRALIA WILL CONTINUE
TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO HELP PROGRESS TOWARDS A RESOLUTION OF
THE CAM3ODIAN PROBLEM. TO THIS END.. WE LOOK FORWARD TO
ML-. NTA1NING OUR DIALOGUE WITH CHINA AND OTHER CONCERNED
COUNTRI1ES. IA." VERY PLEASED THAT FROM AUSTRALIA YOU WILL TRAVEL TO
NEW ZEALAND, WESTERN SAMOA, ' FIJI AND PAPUA NEW GUINEA. FOR
AUSTRALIA THESE COUNTRIES ARE VERY IMPORTANT FRIENDS AND
PARTNERS. WE WELCOME YOUR ! NTEREST IN FURTHER BUILDING
CHINA'S LINKS WITH OUR NEIGHBOURS IN THE PACIFIC.
WE IN THE LABOR PARTY TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN THE HISTORICAL
INITIATIVES TAKEN BY OUR FORMER LEADER, GOUGH WHITLAM, FIRST
IN OPPOSITION AND LATER IN GOVERNMENT,. IN, PIONEERING
AUSTRALIA'S OPENING TO THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA IN
THE EARLY 1970' s.
WE ALSO RECOGNISE THE POLE PLAYED SUBSEQUENTLY BY THE
LIBERAL/ NATIONAL PARTY COALITION UNDER MALCOLM FRASER IN
DEVELOPING THE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR COUNTRY. THE RESULT
IS THAT FRIENDSHIP AND CO-OPERATION WITH CHINA ARE SUPPORTED
' BY THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF AUSTRALIANS AND THIS HAS
BECOME A MAJOR CENTRAL COMMITMENT OF THE FOREIGN POLICIES
OF BOTH MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES IN THIS COUNTRY.
IOMORROW WE WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS OUR
RESPECTIVE ECONOMIC PROGRAMS AND TO CONSIDER THE BROAD
VISTAS FOR CO-OPERATION BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND CHINA.
dHINESE-AUSTRALIAN FRIENDSHIP ALONE WILL NOT SECURE RAPID
GROWTH IN ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION. Tw. AT CAN ONLY FLOW FROM
OUR ABILITY TO OFFER EACH OTHER COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES AND
TO WORK OUT ARRANGEMENTS ' WHICH ARE MUTUALLY PROFITABLE,
THE POLITICAL CONSENSUS IN AUSTRALIA IN SUPPORT OF DEVELOPING
RELATIONS WITH CHINA IS STRONGLY MIRRORED AMONG AUSTRALIAN
BUSINESS, RURAL AND UNION INTERESTS.
ON WEDNESDAY, YOU WILL MEET THE MEMBERS OF OUR ECONOMIC
PLANNiNG ADVISORY CnUNCIL REPRESENTING AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS
AND TRADE UNIONS. I AM SURE YOU WILL HAVE A PRODUCTIVE
DIALOGUE WITH THEM ON THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR A PARTNERSHIP
BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND CHINA THAT WILL BE OF LASTING ECONOMIC
IMPORTANCE TO BOTH OUR NATIONS.
GENERAL-SECRETARY, YOUR VISIT HAS ALREADY TAKEN YOU TO
WESTERN AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AUSTRALIA, AND ON WEDNESDAY
YOU WILL VISIT NEW SOUTH WALES. THESE STATES INDEED
ALL THE AUSTRALIAN STATES ARE SEEKING TO DEVELOP
EFFECTIVE CO-OPERATION WITH CHINA.
AND WHILE IN SYDNEY, YOU WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE AUSTRALIAN CHINESE COMMUNITY, WHO
HAVE MADE SUCH AN ENORMOUS CONTRIBUTION TO AUSTRALIA, AND
WHO SERVE AS A PERMANENT BRIDGE OF FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN US.
GENERAL-SECRETARY, FOR SOME TIME NOW, AND CERTAINLY SINCE
WE CAME TO GOVERNMENT, I HAVE BEEN DEEPLY CONVINCED THAT
NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT IS HAPPENING IN OUR dORLD THAN THE
QUIET CONSTRUCTIVE REVOLUTION THAT IS OCCURRING IN YOUR
COUNTRY. WITH IMAGINATION AND APPROPRIATE REGARD TO YOUR
OWN PHILOSOPHICAL COMMITMENTS YOU ARE RELEASING THE
INITIATIVE AND ENTERPRISE OF A DYNAMIC PEOPLE CONSTITUTING
ALMOST A QUARTER OF THE EARTH'S POPULATION. IT IS A PROCESS
WHICH HAS PROFOUND IMPLICATIONS FOR GOOD, FOR CHINA, FOR
THE REGION, AND FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD. IT~
l.--l-C
4 9.
ICOUNT IT AS. ONE OF THE GREAT PRIVILEGES OF OFr ICE THAT
IHAVE BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY BY YOU AND YOUR FELLOW
LEADERS TO PLAY A PART IN ASSOCIATING OUR COUNTRY' MORE
CLOSELY WITH YOU AS YOU PROCEED DOWN THIS PATH. NOTHING
-WILL BE MORE SIGNIFICANT FOR THIS AND FUTURE GENERATIONS
OF AUSTRALIANS THAN THAT WE SHOULD SUCCEED NOW IN
CONSOLIDATING UNBREAKABLE BONDS OF FRIENDSHIP AND MUTUALLY
BENEFICIAL CO-OPERATION BETWEEN OUR TWO GREAT COUNTRIES.
THAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY, THE CHALLENGE WITH WHICH WE
ARE FACED. THE FACT AND THE SPIRIT OF YOUR VISIT,
GENERAL-SECRETARY, ENTITLE US TO BELIEVE THAT, TOGETHER,
WE SHALL SUCCEED.
MAY 1, YOUR EXCELLENCY, INVITE ALL THOSE PRESENT TO JOINl
ME IN A TOAST:
TO THE HEALTH OF GENERAL-SECRETARY Hu YAOBANGTO
THE HEALTH OF THE OTHER LEADERS OF YOUR PARTY
AND GOVERNMENT AND THEIR DISTINGUISHED
PEPRESENTATIVES HERE TODAY
To WARM FRIENDSHIP AND MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL
CO-OPERATION BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES IN A
STRONG AND LASTING PARTNERSHIP.