EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
RECEPTION FOR THE CHINESE NATIONAL PEOPLES' CONGRESS
CANBERRA 6 MAY 1986
Mr Peng Chong, and distinguished members of the delegation
of the National Peoples' Congress of the Peoples' Republic
of China.
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Australia on
behalf of the Government and people of Australia.
Senator McClelland led an Australian Parliamentary
delegation to China last year and was received by your
National Peoples' Congress with the traditional hospitality
for which the Chinese people are famous. I hope our
hospitality will reciprocate in some part the kindness and
generosity you showed the Australian delegation in China.
Distinguished guests, Australia places considerable
importance on the development of mutual beneficial relations
with China. This view is not only shared by my government
but by all major political parties of Australia, as I am
sure my colleague the Leader of the Opposition will agree.
Australia and China have made remarkable progress in the
development of constructive friendly relations since 1972.
I am pleased this progress has been accelerated under my
Government in the past three years.
When Premier Zhao visited Australia in April 1983 we began a
new phase of co-operation. Premier Zhao and I agreed during
my visit to China in February 1984 that we should work
together to make the Australia/ China relationship a model
for co-operative relations between countries of different
political and economic systems.
We have developed the concept of sectoral initiatives and
the China Action Plan, both of which are designed to promote
greater economic co-operation which takes advantage of the
economic strength and requirements for growth in each
country. Premier Zhao and I were able to agree in 1984 on the first
of the sectoral initiatives, in Iron and Steel. We are
continuing to develop this initiative as well as extending
the concept to other important fields. These include
non-ferrous metals, transport and woollen products.
At the same time we have not concentrated only on our
economic relations. Both countries believe this
relationship of genuine friendship and co-operation should
be as broadly-based as possible. Apart from trade and
commercial relations, we regard cultural, scientific,
technological and sporting exchanges as essential elements
of the relationship.
Moreover, over the past few years we have developed a most
productive dialogue on a wide range of regional and
international issues of importance to both countries.
The visit to Australia of General-Secretary Hu Yaobang in
April 1985 was a high point in recent exchanges between our
countries. I myself am looking forward to my visit to China in just
under two weeks time, when I will be able to renew my valued
friendships with senior Chinese leaders. I also look
forward to seeing more of the diversity and achievements of
China when I visit a number of important centres outside
Beijing, including Chengdu [ Cheng-doo], Nanjing [ Nan-jing]
and Xiamen [ See-ar-men].
Parliamentary exchanges are a most important element in
developing people-to-people contacts between our two
countries. For this reason your visit is particularly
welcome and I wish you a most successful, interesting and
pleasant visit to Australia.