BANQUET HOSTED BY GOVERNOR OF SICHUAN IN CHENGDU
WEDNESDAY 21 MAY 1986
RETURN TOAST SPEECH BY-PRIME-MIN-ISTER.
GOVERNOR JIANG
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
TONIGHT WE ARE IN THE CENTRE OF CHINA. I AM GLAD THAT ON
MY PRESENT VISIT I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE
CHINA'S DIVERSITY AT FIRST HAND. I AM PARTICULARLY GLAD
TO HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT SICHUAN, CHINA'S MOST
POPULOUS REGION AND ONE OF ITS MOST SIGNIFICANT.
ITS SIGNIFICANCE FOR ME IS HEIGHTENED BY MY KNOWLEDGE THAT
SICHUAN IS THE " OLD HOME" OF MY DEAR FRIENDS: GENERAL
SECRETARY Hu YAOBANG, WHO I AM HONOURED COULD MEET ME HERE
TODAY, AND MY HOST IN CHINA, PREMIER ZHAO ZIYANG.
SICHUAN IS ALSO, OF COURSE, WELL KNOWN AS THE " OLD HOME"
OF THE AGRICULTURAL REFORMS OF THE LATE 1970s WHICH SIGNALLED
A NEW PHASE IN CHINA'S DEVELOPMENT, THE CONCEPTS OF
IRESPONSIBILITY / IAND " tTO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS WORK 11.
DEVELOPED HERE IN SICHUAN, HAVE HAD A PROFOUND EFFECT ON
THE MODE AND VOLUME OF CHINA'S PRODUCTION. ONE IS IMPRESSED
BY THE BOLDNESS WITH WHICH A NEW PHILOSOPHY OF INCENTIVES
AND REWARDS FOR WORK WAS PIONEERED HERE, CONSISTENT WITH
SOCIALIST PRINCIPLES BUT EXPRESSING THOSE PRINCIPLES IN NEW
TERMS.
SUCH BOLDNESS HAS APPARENTLY PAID OFF, SICHUAN, DESPITE
ITS HUGE POPULATION, IS NOW, I UNDERSTAND, AN EXPORTER OF
FOOD. IT CAN NOW AFFORD TO INVEST IN RESEARCH AND
TECHNOLOGY SO AS TO ENSURE THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF
ITS AGRICULTURAL BASE. SUCH BOLDNESS,-OF COURSE, BRINGS
ITS OWN RESPONSIBILITIES AS PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK
TO SICHUAN, AS THE HOME OF REFORM, FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS,
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT SICHUAN WE THINK ABOUT AGRICULTURE',
BUT TODAY I HAVE DISCOVERED SICHUAN IS DIVERSIFYING.
AT THE XINXING FACTORY TOD) AY I WAS PRO UD'TO SEE AN
AUSTRALIAN COMPANY INVOLVED IN PIONEERING A HIGH TECHNOLOGY
PROJECT HERE. THIS PROJECT IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF THE
COOPERATION THAT EXISTS AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE PROMOTED
BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES. SKILL AND ENTHUSIASM HAVE
COMBINED TO GET A FINE PROJECT OFF THE GROUND. I AM
GRATIFIED THAT THE PROJECT IS WAY AHEAD OF SCHEDULE AND
THAT I COULD SEE IT TODAY SO NEAR TO COMPLETION., AM PROUD
TO SEE THAT AN AUSTRALIAN COMPANY HAS PROVIDED THE SKILL
AND TRAINING TO ESTABLISH THE PROJECT.,
TODAY I 1 ' C KABLE TO ANNOUNCE
THAT AUSTRALIA IS TO BE LOANED TWO PANDAS AS CHINA'S
CONTRIBUTION To AUSTRALIA'S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS,
.00 3.
ILOOK FORWARD VERY MUCH TO THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXAMINE
SOMETHING OF SICHUAN ' S AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AT FIRST
HAND TOMORROW AND TO HAVE LOCAL METHODS EXPLAINED TO ME
BY SUCH DISTINGUISHED HOSTS.
IKNOW NOW FROM EXPERIENCE THAT SICHUAN IS NOT JUST ABOUT
AGRICULTURE AND AGRICULTURAL REFORM, IT IS ALSO ABOUT
DIVERSIFICATION AND THE CHALLENGE THAT DIVERSIFICATION
BRINGS. I AM PROUD TO SEE AUSTRALIANS INVOLVED IN THE
DIVERSIFICATION OF THE SICHUAN ECONOMY. I HOPE THAT
AUSTRALIANS CONTINUE TO COME TO SICHUAN AND THAT SICHUAN
CONTINUES TO DIVERSIFY.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN I PROPOSE A TOAST TO THE HEALTH OF
GOVERNOR JIANG( AND OF GENERAL SECRETARY Hu J) TO THE HEALTH
OF ALL DISTINGUISHED GUESTS HERE TONIGHT AND TO THE FRIENDLY
RELATIONS BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND THE PROVINCE OF SICHUAN.
GAN BEI!