CHINA: BEIJING: PREMIER LI PENG SPEAKS AT NPC ANNUAL MEETING

Описание: (1 Mar 1997) Mandarin/Nat

Following the death of China's patriarch, Deng Xiaoping, Chinese Premier Li Peng has called for national unity and success when China takes over control of Hong Kong later this year.

Li's speech was delivered at the annual meeting Saturday of China's National People's Congress.(Parliament).

In the legacy of Deng, Li delivered his government's work report, and vowed to revive bankrupt state-run industries.

The Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square was the venue for China's National People's Congress (N-P-C).

Delegates entered the Congress Saturday for the first meeting of the N-P-C since the death last week of the Chinese leader, Deng Xiaoping.

The annual session is one of the main events in a highly political year.

Political manoeuvring in the run-up to a Communist Party congress this autumn, always heated, is expected to intensify following Deng's death on February 19.

Although he relinquished all public posts in 1990, Deng continued to influence policy, protect his portages from disaffected factions and mediate their disputes.

Qiao Shi, the legislature's head and a rival of Chinese Premier Li Peng, opened the session by praising Deng as a great communist and economic moderniser.

The 2,901 delegates - wearing mostly dark suits, but offset by the traditional costumes of ethnic minority members - then stood for a moment of silence in the Great Hall of the People.

It was highlighted by a speech by Li, who called on Deng's legacy to urge people to continue reform and rally around party General Secretary Jiang Zemin, first among equals in the post-Deng collective leadership.

Li looked self-assured, smiling and waving to party notables as he entered the hall.

While relations have been strained on many occasions in the past, he praised a new era for Chinese-U-S relations.

SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin)
"Sino-US relations have undergone relatively large setbacks but are now evidencing a trend toward improvement and development."
SUPER CAPTION: Li Peng, Chinese Premier

He then called for unity among China's diverse population which includes many ethnic minority groups.

SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin)
"We should firmly maintain the unity of the whole nation and all the nationalities and strongly fight against any remarks and activities damaging the unity of the motherland and separating the country.
SUPER CAPTION: Li Peng, Chinese Premier

Then one of the hot issues of this year - the future of Hong Kong when it returns to China in July.

SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin)
"We are convinced that with the support of all the Chinese people and through the joint efforts of the more than six (m) million people of Hong Kong, the policy of 'one country, two systems' will be crowned with success, Hong Kong will maintain long term prosperity and stability, and the future of Hong Kong will be even brighter."
SUPER CAPTION: Li Peng, Chinese Premier

Always controversial, Li stressed China's claim to the separate island state.

The rhetoric was softer than last year's speech. Then Li refused to renounce the use of force to retake the island.

SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin)
SUPER CAPTION: Li Peng, Chinese Premier

Li finally paid tribute to the former patriarch, Deng Xiaoping who died last week.

SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin)
"The death of beloved comrade Deng Xiaoping is an inestimable loss of all the people in all the country and the great achievements of comrade Deng Xiaoping will be carved in the hearts of people in the entire nation forever."
SUPER CAPTION: Li Peng, Chinese Premier



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