CHOU TO NIXON

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32848, 23 February 1972, Page 17

CHOU TO NIXON

PEKING, Feb. 22.

Here is the official text of Chou En-lai’s remarks and toast at last night’s banquet, reported by United Press International. "Mr President and Mrs Nixon, ladies and gentlemen, comrades and friends. “First of all, I have the pleasure on behalf of Chairman Mao Tse-tung and the Chinese Government to extend our welcome to Mr President and Mrs Nixon and to our other American guests. “I also wish to take this opportunty to extend on behalf of the Chinese people cordial greetings to the American people on the other [side of the great ocean. "President Nixon’s visit to 'our country at the invitation of the Chinese Govemiment provides the leaders of I the two countries ’ with an opportunity of meeting in person to seek the normalisation of relations between the two countries, and also to exchange views on questions of concern to the two sides. “This is a positive move in conformity with the desire of the Chinese and American peoples, and an event unprecedented in the history of

the relations between China; and the United States. “The American people are a great people. The Chinese people are a great people. The peoples of our two countries have always been friendly to each other. But owing to reasons known to all, contacts between the two peoples were suspended for over 20 years.

“Now, through the common efforts of China and the United States, the gate to friendly contacts has finally been opened at the present time and it has become a strong desire of the Chinese and American peoples to move to promote normalisation of relations between the two countries and work for the relaxation of tensions.

“The people, the people alone, are the motive force in the making of world history. We are confident that the day will surely come when this common desire of our two peoples will be realised.

“The social system of China and the United States are fundamentally different, and there exist great differences between the Chinese Government and the United States of America. "However, these differences should not hinder China and the United States from establishing normal State relations on the basis of the five principles of mutual

respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interfer-ence in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefits, and peaceful coexistence —still less should they lead to war. “As early as 1955, the Chinese Government publicly stated that the Chinese people did not want to have a war with the United States, and that the Chinese Government is willing to sit down and enter into negotiations with the United States Government.

“This is a policy which we have pursued consistently. We have taken note of the fact that in his speech before setting out for China, President Nixon on his part said ‘what we must do is to find a way so that we can have differences without being enemies in war.’

“We hope that, through a frank exchange of views between our two sides to gain a clearer notion of our differences and make efforts to find common grounds, a new start can be made in the relations of our two countries.

“In conclusion, I propose a toast to the health of President and Mrs Nixon, to the health of our other American guests, to the health of all our friends and comrades present, and to the friendship between the Chinese anci American peoples."