Your Excellency Zhao ZiyangPremier Zhao Your Excellencies, Ambassador, Ladies and Gentlemen
I am very pleased to have this opportunity of welcoming you, Mr. Premier, and our other Chinese guests here this evening.
It enables us in a small way to express our thanks for your most generous hospitality over the last three days.
Mr. Premier, I have found our talks valuable and stimulating.
So also were the meetings I have had with Chairman Deng Xiaoping and Vice-Chairman Deng Ying Chao. [end p1]
I felt when I arrived in Peking that I already had a good understanding of the main points of your country's foreign and domestic policies, but our conversations have enabled me to attain a clearer insight into China's policies and a closer personal understanding of the Chinese Government's point of view. It is better to see for yourself once than to read a hundred reports.
It is very encouraging to receive fresh confirmation that we both attach great importance to our excellent bilateral relations and that [end p2] on many international questions we share the same fundamental outlook.
Our talks have left little time for sightseeing but merely to be here again in your great capital city has recalled to my mind vivid memories of the beautiful places I visited in 1977.
This afternoon a brief visit to the peasants free market gave me a clear impression of the considerable progress in agricultural policies over these last few years.
Our visit to the Summer Palace like those yesterday to the Central Conservatory of Music and Central Academy of Fine Arts were most enjoyable reminders of the rich continuity of Chinese culture and civilisation. [end p3]
Yesterday I was also glad to have time to visit the British Council-sponsored Exhibition of Books at the Art Gallery.
This was a significant manifestation of the expanding cultural and educational contacts between our two countries.
But my programme concentrates on discussions with your leaders.
That is exactly what I wanted.
We have had so much of importance to discuss. I wanted to examine in depth ways of strengthening relations between Britain and China.
This, I believe we have done. [end p4]
Tomorrow we leave for Shanghai, a city with a long history of connections with Britain. Last year we welcomed Mayor Wang Daohan on a visit to our country. It is a sign of the growing substance of Anglo-Chinese relations that in the last few months our two Governments have agreed to exchange Consulates-General.
The establishment of a Consulate-General in Shanghai will enable us to make further efforts to promote Sino/British trade and other forms of economic co-operation particularly in Shanghai and Central China. [end p5]
I am sorry to be leaving Peking so soon but I hope that before too long I shall have the opportunity of welcoming you, Mr. Premier, and other members of the Chinese Government in London.
You left a deep impression on all who met you during your visit in 1979.
May I now propose a toast to the health of His Excellency Premier Zhao Ziyang and all distinguished Chinese friends present and to the continuing development of the friendly relations between Great Britain and China.