NACA welcomes Premier Zhao Ziyang (1984)

NACA Welcomes Premier Zhao Ziyang

(The following article is taken from NACA Newsletter No. 5, March 1984)

Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang visited the U.S. in January 1984 and had serious and candid talks with President Ronald Reagan and other U.S. leaders. Premier Zhao also had friendly meetings witht the American people and in particular the Chinese Americans residing in several major cities such as Honolulu, Washington DC, New York and San Francisco.

On January 11, 1984, NACA together with the Community of Ethnic Chinese in the Metropolitan DC area and the U.S.-China Peoples Friendship Association welcomed Premier Zhao and his party to a banquet in Washington DC. More than eight hundred persons attended the banquet.

At the banquet Premier Zhao thanked all American friends and overseas Chinese who promoted the normalization of U.S.-China relations and improved the friendship and understanding of the two peoples. He expressed regret taht for the last thirty-some years China existed in a divided state and called upon all friends of China to help to bring about a unified China. His banquet speech is reproduced below.

Welcoming speeches were given by NACA President Y. T. Li, President of the U.S.-China Peoples Friendship Association, and C. K. Yen for the Community of Ethnic chinese in the Metropolitan DC area. NACA Vice President C. W. Woo was the master of ceremony for the occasion. [End of article]

Standing to the right of Premier Zhao (in People's jacket) is NACA President Y. T. Li