Reception by six U.S. organizations

Vice Premier Deng at the reception given by six U.S. organizations

Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping on January 30 attended a reception hosted by six U.S. organizations: the Foreign Policy Association, the National Gallery of Art, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the Council on Scholarly Communication With the People's Republic of China, the Asia Society and the China Council. Some 800 Americans from all walks of life were at the reception.

Vice Premier Deng stated at the reception that "the world today is far from tranquil. In Africa, the Middle East, and in West and Southeast Asia, the independence and security of many third world countries have been threatened or infringed upon."

"With the full backing of the Soviet Union," the Chinese leader noted, "Viet Nam is brazenly subjecting Democratic Kampuchea to a massive armed aggression. Europe, too, is overshadowed by the threat of war. It is very evident that hegemonist expansion is the main source of turmoil in all parts of the world."

"The zealous pushing of a global strategy for world domination by the hegemonists cannot but increase the danger of a new world war. It has become an urgent task of all countries and people who cherish independence and peace to combat hegemonism."

China, he said, is a part of the third world. For the sake of the long-term interests of world peace and stability, China will firmly fulfil its internationalist obligations and will not hesitate even to shoulder the necessary sacrifices. "The Chinese people stand unswervingly by Kampuchea in its resistance against the Vietnamese aggressors," he emphasized.

"The Chinese people suffered amply from the miseries of war. We do not wish to fight a war unless it is forced upon us. We are firmly against a new world war. One of the objects of China's foreign policy is to delay its outbreak," the Vice Premier pointed out.

"We want peace - a genuine peace in which the people of each country may develop and progress as they wish, free from aggression, interference and bullying - not a false peace dictated by hegemonism. We are in favour of detente - a genuine detente which truly reduces the danger of war and safeguards the security of all nations -not a false detente used by some countries as a cover under which they carry on military buildup in preparation for wars of aggression and expansion."

Vice Premier Deng refuted the allegations by some people that "Chinese are warlike" and that "China is a potential source of world war." He said: "China has throughout modern history been a victim of aggression, and even today it is under the threat of aggression. There is no reason for us to start a world war, nor are we qualified to do so."

"True," he went on, "we do speak constantly of the danger of war - not because we like it, but because the danger is a fact, and it comes precisely from the warmongers who are daily propagating an illusion of peace and detente. We think it imperative to face up to this harsh reality, instead of comforting oneself like an ostrich which sticks its head into the sand. It is gratifying to note that a growing number of people of insight in the United States are coming to recognize this danger."

"The Second World War broke out amidst a chorusing of 'peace.' For people of our generation, this tragic lesson should still be fresh in our minds. In calling on the people of all countries to beware of the danger of a new world war, we hope to delay its outbreak through a united effort," said the Chinese Vice Premier.

China Wishes to Solve the Taiwan Question in a Peaceful Way. On the Taiwan question, Vice Premier Deng said: "We know that many friends are concerned over the future of Taiwan. Reunifying the motherland is the common wish of the entire Chinese people." "I believe the American people, who had the bitter experience of a divided nation more than a century ago, can understand the national wish of the Chinese people for reunification. The way to resolve the question of bringing Taiwan back to the embrace of the motherland is China's internal affair." "We wish from the bottom of our hearts to resolve this question in a peaceful way, for that will be advantageous to our country and to our nation. This has been stated clearly in the Message to Compatriots in Taiwan by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. I should say that after the normalization of relations between China and the United States the chances for a peaceful solution have become greater. Naturally, things do not depend on our wishes alone, we have to see how they develop," the Vice Premier noted.