I AM VERY PLEASED TO BE PRESENT ON THE OCCASION OF THE
. SIGNING OF THIS AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE AUSTRALIAN WOOL
CORPORATION AND THE CHINESE MINISTRY OF TEXTILE INDUSTRY.
I CONGRATULATE THE TWO ORGANISATIONS ON THIS SIGNIFICANT
STEP THEY HAVE TAKEN TOWARDS BUILDING A WAREHOUSE IN NANJING
FOR THE HANDLING AND DISTRIBUTION OF AUSTRALIAN WOOL.
AUSTRALIA IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST EFFICIENT PRODUCER
OF FINE QUALITY WOOL. IN CHINA THE TERM " AO MAO" ( AUSTRALIAN
WOOL) IS SYNONYMOUS WITH EXCELLENC* EAND AUSTRALIA HAS BEEN A
LONG AND RELIABLE SUPPLIER OF WOOL TO CHINA'S TEXTILE INDUSTRY.
CHINA ' S PRODUC TION OF TEXTILES ALSO HAS A LONG AND OUTSTANDING
TRADITION. HERE IN NANJING WE ARE IN THE CENTRE OF A
DISTRICT WHICH HAS BEEN PRODUCING SLL. K TEXTILES FOR OVER A
THOUSAND YEARS. IN RECENT YEARS WE NOTE THAT JIANGSU PROVINCE
HAS BECOME THE MOST RAPIDLY GROWING. CENTRE OF CHINA'S TEXTILE
INDUSTRY. CHINA'S COTTON AND OTHER TEXTILES AND GARMENTS
ARE LEADING EXPORTS To AUSTRALIA AND TO MANY OTHER COUNTRIES.
SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER
SIGNING OF THE AGREEMENT ON WOOL WAREHOUSE PROJECT
NANJING, 22 MAY 1986 p. I. r
2.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO DEVELOPING CO-OPERATION WITH CHINA TO
EXPAND PRODUCTION OF WOOLLEN TEXTILES FOR CHINA'S OWN
MARKET AND FOR EXPORT AROUND THE WORLD. SUCH CO-OPERATION
IS DEMONSTRATED BY THE FACT THAT THE TWO GOVERNMENTS, IN
CONJUNCTION WITH THE AUSTRALIAN WOOL CORPORATION, HAVEV
AGREED TO WORK TOGETHER ON THE PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH THIS
WOOL WAREHOUSE IN CHINA FOR AUSTRALIAN WOOL. THE AUSTRALIAN
WOOL CORPORATION HAS CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE IN THE BUILDING
AND MANAGEMENT OF WOOL WAREHOUSING, ITS INVOLVEMENT IN THIS
PROJECT WILL ENSURE THAT THE WAREHOUSE INCORPORATES STATE
OF THE ART TECHNOLOGY AND MACHINERY.
I RECALL THAT DURING THE VISIT To AUSTRALIA OF GENERALSECRETARY
Hu YAOBANG LAST YEAR, HE AND I DISCUSSED THE
DESIRABILITY OF MORE CONCENTRATED EFFORTS TO PROMOTE
CO-OPERATION IN THE WOOL INDUSTRY. IT IS GRATIFYING TO NOTE
WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING
A FIVE-FOLD INCREASE, IN AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR TERMS, IN
WOOL EXPORTS IN THE PERIOD 1984/ 85
THREE JOINT.-VENTURE ENTERPRISES IN WOOLLEN TEXTILES,
ALL OF THEM EXPORTING PRODUCTS TO THIRD COUNTRY MARKETS
MORE JOINT VENTURES UNDER DISCUSSION
THE AGREEMENT SIGNED IN AUGUST LAST YEAR UNDER WHICH
BOTH COUNTRIES ARE STUDYING WAYS TO DEVELOP TRADE AND
ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION IN ALL AREAS RELATING TO THE WOOL
INDUSTRY
AND NOW WE HAVE TODAY'S PROGRESS ON THE WOOL WAREHOUSE.
I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE VISIT
TO AUSTRALIA NEXT MONTH BY VICE MINISTER HE ZHENG ZHANG FOR
THE FIRST OFFICIAL MEETING OF THE JOINT-WORKING GROUP ON WOOL,
IT IS THEREFORE MOST PLEASING TO BE PRESENT IN CHINA TO
WITNESS THE FIRST FRUITS OF THE PROPOSAL FOR CLOSER
CO-OPERATION IN THIS FIELD WHICH GENERAL-SECRETARY HU AND
I DISCUSSED LAST YEAR, I WOULD LIKE PERSONALLY TO
CONGRATULATE ALL THOSE WHO HAVE WORKED TO ACHIEVE THIS
RESULT,