1982年撒切尔访华英文演讲稿.docVIP

Speech by British Prime Minster Mrs. Margaret Thatcher (September 22,1982) Your Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Premier. I am a doubly privileged visitor. Not only is this the second time in five years that I have visited china to enjoy your warm and generous hospitality, but I find to my astonishment that I am the first British Prime Minster in office to do so. This does not mean that we have been neglectful of China. The stream of high-level visitors in both directions testifies to that. Nevertheless, it is an omission which I am proud to be able to rectify and I hope my presence here tonight is further proof of the importance we in Britain attach to relations with your great country. It is a long way from Peking to London. The distance has sometimes seemed compounded by historical, philosophical and political gap in our outlooks. It is nevertheless many years since our two worlds first touched. In1596 Queen Elizabeth the First wrote to the Ming Emperor Wan Li expressing the hope that trade could be developed between Britain and China. In 11686 Robert Hooke of the Royal Society wrote that “A better knowledge of China’s civilization would lay open to us an empire of learning, hitherto fabulously described.” Since then generations of my countrymen have been fascinated by China, Soon British scientists became more frequent visitors to China which, as all recognize, is the home of many important scientific inventions. Cultural and scientific contact went from strength to strength through the 19th and early 20th centuries, and the tradition of Chinese studies in Britain has continued to the present day. Our political relations have been more varied. But there were important moments when history brought us together. I recall Sun Yatsen’s very close contacts with Britain ,leading up to the famous attempt by then Chinese legation to kidnap and return him to China, a plot which was foiled with the help of British Foreign Office. Another