Speech on Sino-British Friendship Scholarships

Document type:	Speeches, interviews, etc.
Venue:	?No.10 Downing Street
Source:	Thatcher Archive: speaking text
Editorial comments:	MT spoke on the signing of a memorandum of understanding establishing the Sino-British Friendship Scholarship Scheme. It is not clear precisely when and where the memorandum was signed.
Importance ranking:	Minor
Word count:	225
Themes:	Higher & further education, Foreign policy (Asia)

Mr. Hu YaobangGeneral Secretary, Mr. Li Peng, Sir Y. K. PaoSir Y. K., Ladies and Gentlemen.

We are gathered here to sign the Memorandum of Understanding establishing the Sino-British Friendship Scholarship Scheme.

Before we do so, I should like to pay tribute to the initiative and generosity of Sir Y. K. Pao in launching this scheme, which he first [end p1] suggested to Chairman Deng and to me late last year.

I am very pleased that he can be with us to sign the Memorandum of Understanding.

I should also like to thank the Chinese Government through you Mr. General Secretary for the constructive role which they played in the discussions, and which led to such an excellent result. [end p2]

The scheme now established will make possible an additional 350 new awards for Chinese students to study in the United Kingdom.

We look forward to welcoming them among us, and to helping in this way with China's programme of modernisation.

We are pleased, too, that it will increase the contacts between our two peoples.

So may I now ask Vice-Premier Li Peng, Sir Y. K. Pao [end p3] and Sir Geoffrey Howe to sign the Memorandum and establish the Sino-British Friendship Scholarship Scheme?