SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER AT PREMIER ZHAO'S
WELCOMING BANQUET
BEIJING 19 MAY 1986
MR PREMIER, IT IS GOOD BE TO AMONG FRIENDS AGAIN IN BEIJING.
THERE ARE MANY FAMILIAR FACES HERE THIS EVENING WHO, IN
DIFFERENT FIELDS, ARE FIRM FRIENDS OF AUSTRALIA. IN THE TWO
YEARS SI'NCE I WAS LAST IN bEIJING I AM GLAD THAT WE
PERSONALLY HAVE KEPT CLOSELY IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER AND
THAT WE AND OTHER LEADERS OF OUR GOVERNMENTS HAVE BEEN ABLE
FREQUENTLY TO RENEW FRIENDSHIPS THROUGH THE VISITS OF CLOSE
COLLEAGUES. IT IS NOW THIRTEEN YEARS SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC
RELATIONS BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND CHINA AND THE BILATERAL
RELATIONSHIP HAS COME A LONG WAY SINCE THEN.
THERE IS NOW A STEADY EXCHANGE OF VISITS BETWEEN THE POLITICAL
LEADERS OF THE TWO COUNTRIES, IN 1983 I WELL REMEMBER
WELCOMING YOU, MR PREMIER, TO AUSTRALIA THE FIRST VISIT BY
A CHINESE PREMIER TO AUSTRALIA AND, OF PARTICULAR SIGNIFICANCE
TO MY GOVERNMENT, THE FIRST VISIT OF A FOREIGN HEAD OF GOVERNMENT
TO AUSTRALIA AFTER THE LABOR PARTY WAS ELECTED TO GOVERNMENT.
IN 1984 I VISITED CHINA FOR THE FIRST TIME AS PRIME MINISTER
ALTHOUGH'I HAD BEEN ABLE TO VISIT PREVIOUSLY IN ANOTHER CAPACITY.
AND. IN 1985, WE HAD THE HONOUR OF WELCOMING THE GENERAL
SECRETARY OF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY, HU YAOBANG, TO
AUSTRALIA. MY CURRENT VISIT MARKS THE FIFTH SUCCESSIVE
YEAR THAT CHINESE AND AUSTRALIAN LEADERS HAVE VISITED EACH
OTHERS COUNTRY ITSELF A CLEAR INDICATION OF THE FUNDAMENTAL
VITALITY OF THE RELATIONSHIP.
OUR RELATIONSHIP IS CLOSE AND GROWING, AND IS ONE DESIGNEDTO
ENDURE, ECONOMIC RELATIONS HAVE GROWN IN LINE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT
OF THE POLITICAL RELATIONSHIP. IT IS A RELATIONSHIP WHICH
OFFERS THE PROMISE OF MAJOR ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO BOTH COUNTRIES
AS TIME PASSES AND WHICH IS WORTH TAKING THE TIME TO ESTABLISH
ON A FIRM FOUNDATION IN THESE FORMATIVE YEARS. I APPRECIATE
THAT AT SOME TIMES THIS WILL REQUIRE THAT PROGRESS ON
PARTICULAR ISSUES MAY BE A LITTLE SLOWER THAN ON OTHER ISSUES
AS COMPLEX QUESTIONS ARE EXPLORED PROPERLY. BUT LET THERE BE
NO DOUBT OF THE DETERMINATION OF BOTH GOVERNMENTS TO WORK
THROUGH AND BEYOND EVEN THESE TIMES, WHICH IN OTHER
CIRCUMSTANCES COULD LEAD TO FRUSTRATION.
THE VOLUME AND VALUE OF OUR TRADE WITH EACH OTHER HAS GROWN
ENORMOUSLY SINCE WE FIRST MET IN 1983, WE ARE CONSCIOUS
OF THE FACT THAT THE GROWTH HAS-BEEN MORE PRONOUNCED IN
AUSTRALIA'S EXPORT TRADE WITH CHINA THAN IN OUR IMPORT TRADE.
WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF OUR GENERAL-POLICIES TO PROMOTE
INCREASED COMPETITIVENESS AND AN OUTWARD LOOKING ORIENTATION
FOR AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY, WE HAVE BEEN STEADILY REDUCING
ARTIFICIAL IMPEDIMENTS TO EXPANSION OF OUR IMPORT TRADE. IN
ADDITION, SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CHINA ACTION PLAN
AS A RESULT OF YOUR 1983 VISIT TO AUSTRALIA, THE AUSTRALIAN
GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE PROMOTION OF
CHINESE EXPORTS.
WE RECOGNISE THE CRUCIAL ROLE OF EXPANDING EXPORTS IN YOUR
MODERNISATION PROCESS, STRESSED RECENTLY IN YOUR REPORT TO
THE NATIONALPEOPLES CONGRESS. WE ARE PLEDGED TO CONTINUE
TO PURSUE POLICIES WHICH EXPAND TRADE. WE ARE PLEDGED ALSO
TO CONTINUE-TO ENCOURAGE AUSTRALIAN FIRMS TO PARTICIPATE IN
THE EXPANSION OF CHINA'S PRODUCTIVE: CAPACITY FOR EXPORT,
AND TO ASSIST DIRECTLY THE MARKETING EFFORTS OF CHINESE
ENTERPRISES IN AUSTRALIA. WHEN WE. FIRST MET, I HAVE BEEN TOLD,
THERE WAS ONLY ONE SINO-AUSTRALIAN JOINT VENTURE IN OPERATION.
NOW MORE THAN 16 SINO-AUSTRALIAN JOINT VENTURES.' HAVE BEEN
SIGNED AND HAVE EITHER BEGUN OR ARE PREPARING TO BEGIN
OPERATING IN CHINA, AND A FURTHER 37 AGREEMENTS ARE UNDER
DISCUSSION.
CHINA HAS SHOWN ACTIVE INTEREST IN LARGE-SCALE INVESTMENT
IN THE AUSTRALIAN RESOURCES SECTOR, AND YOU AND I WILL
PARTICIPATE IN A SIGNING CELEBRATION TOMORROW WHICH IS THE
FIRST PRODUCT OF THAT INTEREST. SINCE WE FIRST MET THREE
YEARS AGO, THREE AUSTRALIAN BANKS HAVE ESTABLISHED
REPRESENTATIVE OFFICES IN BEIJING AND AS A DIRECT RESULT OF
REPRESENTATIONS MADE TO ME IN BEIJING TWO YEARS AGO, WE
WELCOME THE RE-OPENING OF A BRANCH OF THE BANK OF CHINA IN
SYDNEY EARLIER THIS YEAR.
EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC, CULTURAL AND SPORTING EXCHANGES
HAVE LENT ADDITIONAL SUBSTANCE TO THE RELATIONSHIP, AUSTRALIA
HAS NOTED CHINA'S DECISION IN 1985 TO EXPAND ITS NATIONAL
EDUCATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN ORDER FURTHER TODEVELOP ITS
HUMAN RESOURCES POTENTIAL TO MEET THE PRESSING REQUIREMENTS
OF MODERNISATION.
MY GOVERNMENT SEES MUTUAL ADVANTAGE IN A SIGNIFICANT EXPANSION
OF EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGES WITH CHINA, WE SEE THIS AS
CONTRIBUTING DIRECTLY AND USEFULLY TO CHINA'S MODERNISATION
PROCESS,
THE GOVERNMENT OF BOTH AUSTRALIA AND CHINA HAVE PLACED
CONSIDERABLE EMPHASIS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR RELATIONS
ON THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE CONTACTS,
WE HAVE IN AUSTRALIA AN AUSTRALIA-CHINA COUNCIL WHOSE
CHIEF FUNCTION IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING
THROUGH SUCH CONTACTS, IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO
ADVISE YOU THAT THE GOVERNMENT, ON THE ADVICE OF THE
FOREIGN MINISTER, HAS APPOINTED A FORMER PRIME MINISTER,
MR GOUGH WHITLAM, AS THE NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE AUSTRALIA
CHINA COUNCIL.
THIS APPOINTMENT IS PARTICULARLY SIGNIFICANT SINCE BACK
IN 1972 MR WHITLAM WAS THE PRIME MOVER BEHIND THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND
AUSTRALIA, MR WHITLAM'S CONTRIBUTION TO AUSTRALIA-CHINA
RELATIONS WAS VITALLY IMPORTANT AND WE ARE DELIGHTED THAT
HE CAN CONTINUE IN HIS NEW CAPACITY THE PROMOTION OF THE
RELATIONSHIP WHICH HE HELPED BRING ABOUT.
MR PREMIER, THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP
REFLECTS OUR INCREASING FOCUS ON THE ASIA/ PACIFIC
REGION IN WHICH OUR TWO COUNTRIES ARE LOCATED, AND ON
THAT REGION'S ASPIRATIONS FOR PEACE, SECURITY AND ECONOMIC
PROSPERITY. IT IS REGRETTABLE THAT TENSIONS STILL EXIST IN THE REGION.
MOST NOTABLY IN INDOCHINA, AFGHANISTAN AND THE KOREAN
PENINSULA, IT IS OUR COMMON HOPE THAT JUST AND PEACEFUL
SETTLEMENTS MAY SOON BE FOUND IN THESE AREAS OF POTENTIAL
DANGER SO THAT ALL COUNTRIES CAN PAR-T-~-tAR MORE FULLY IN
THE DYNAMIC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT IS ALREADY OCCURRING
IN MUCH OF OUR REGION.
WHILE IT IS NOT YET ALTOGETHER A REGION OF PEACETHE
PACIFIC REGION AND ESPECIALLY THE WESTERN PACIFIC REGION
HAS EMERGED DECISIVELY IN RECENT DECADES AS THE MAJOR
CENTRE OF WORLD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE HUGE PROGRESS
THAT CHINA HAS MADE OVER THE PAST SEVEN YEARS HAS
CONTRIBUTED NEW MOMENTUM TO THESE HISTORIC PROCESSES,
THIS GENERATION HAS BEFORE IT THE REAL PROSPECT OF OUR
REGION EMERGING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY AS A PLACE
OF PROSPERITY FOR ALL OF OUR PEOPLES, BUT FOR THIS
TO COME TO PASS WE ALL NEED PEACE, AND THE COUNTRIES OF
THE REGION MUST INTEGRATE THEIR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLANS
ON THE BASIS OF COMPLEMENTARY AND MUTUAL ADVANTAGE,
MR PREMIER, WE HAVE HAD USEFUL DISCUSSIONS TODAY ON A
RANGE OF ISSUES, I LOOK FORWARD VERY MUCH TO THE REST
OF MY PROGRAM IN BEIJING AND TO TRAVELLING TO A NUMBER
OF PROVINCES TO SEE AT FIRST HAND THE PROGRESS REALISED
THUS FAR IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CHINA'S REFORM AND
MODERNISATION STRATEGY,
YOU KNOW MR PREMIER THAT SINCE OUR FIRST MEETING IN 1983
I HAVE SAID MANY TIMES, AND IN MANY COUNTRIES, THAT WHAT
IS HAPPENING TO CHINA UNDER THIS STRATEGY IS THE SINGLE
MOST IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT IN THE WORLD TODAY, YOU HAVE
OUR ABIDING BEST WISHES IN YOUR IMMENSELY SIGNIFICANT
ENDEAVOURS,
7.
MAY I PROPOSE A TOAST TO THE HEALTH OF MY GOOD FRIEND
PREMIER ZHAO, AND THE HEALTH OF OUR CHINESE AND
AUSTRALIAN FRIENDS HERE, AND THE CONTINUED HEALTH OF
CHINA-AUSTRALIA RELATIONS, GAN BEI.