Visit to L.A. Promises Trade; City May Get Rare Monkeys : Chinese President Affirms Ties to U.S.

Chinese President Li Xiannian arrived in Los Angeles on Saturday on an official visit aimed at strengthening ties between the West Coast’s largest metropolis and the world’s most populous nation.

Shortly after his arrival, Li and Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley met for 30 minutes, discussing subjects ranging from trade and investments to the possible transfer to the Los Angeles Zoo of rare Chinese golden monkeys. The mayor described Li’s visit as “very significant in terms of future trade, tourism and the strengthening of the ties of friendship between our two nations.”

Li delivered a greeting and farewell in an evening speech at a Los Angeles World Affairs Council banquet at the Century Plaza, while outside about 500 protesters demonstrated quietly. Most of his remarks were given in English by Zhou Wenzhong, a translator, as Li stood at the podium.

Li’s remarks twice drew applause from an audience of 2,000. The applause came as Li condemned South Africa’s policy of apartheid and the recent imposition of a state of emergency in that nation, and when he called for the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons.

“We favor the banning and complete destruction of nuclear weapons so we can eliminate the threat of nuclear war,” he said through the translator.

Li noted that despite the social differences between the United States and China, his country hopes to develop closer relations based on peaceful cooperation and mutual respect for national sovereignty.

“It is our hope that the two sides will abide by the agreements they have reached and honor their commitments so as to ensure steady development of their relations,” he said.

Although Li’s reference to the necessity for mutual respect could be taken to encompass a reference to the status of Taiwan--which Peking views as an internal Chinese affair--he made no specific reference to Taiwan in his speech.

Earlier in his U.S. trip, the Chinese president reiterated Peking’s determination to reunify Taiwan with China under the concept of “one country, two systems,” which would allow Taiwan to retain its capitalist system but acknowledge Peking’s sovereignty. Li’s statements, however, have also reflected China’s refusal to rule out the use of force to reunify Taiwan with mainland China.

Traveling with his wife, Lin Jiamei, and a party of more than 70 people, Li arrived at Los Angeles International Airport at 12:30 p.m. The three planes carrying his entourage were directed to a remote terminal where, under heavy security, the Chinese president was greeted by Bradley, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chairman Ed Edelman, Lt. Gov. Leo T. McCarthy, state Chief of Protocol Don Mulford and Chinese-American community leaders.

About 100 students from China who are studying in Los Angeles carried a red banner welcoming the Chinese head of state. Li walked over to greet the students, who were behind a fence, but declined comment when a reporter standing near them asked his reactions to the United States, which he is visiting for the first time.

Trade Discussion

Ma Yuzhen, information director for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, later said that “so far the visit has proceeded very well, very smoothly--we are happy.”

Bradley said that in his afternoon meeting with Li he stressed increasing trade between the nations and investment in China by American companies. He also promoted a possible sharing of expertise in areas such as construction of electrical plants.

“There is a great deal of interest in California in doing business with China and in investing with China,” Bradley said.

Bradley said he and Li also discussed the city’s desire to obtain two golden monkeys from China for the Los Angeles Zoo. Negotiations over possible transfer of a pair of the rare primates to Los Angeles have been under way for months, and the city hopes to wrap up an agreement soon, the mayor said.

500 on Picket Line

While the mayor’s office, the World Affairs Council and Los Angeles-area supporters of closer U.S.-China relations welcomed the Chinese delegation, about 500 pro-Taiwan Chinese-Americans picketed outside the Century Plaza. The demonstrators brandished anti-Li placards and chanted their opposition to communism.

The Chinatown-based Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Assn. provided six buses to bring in demonstrators from Chinatown, Monterey Park and elsewhere and also mobilized people from other parts of the state, protest organizers said.

“The main point of the demonstration is to show that we Chinese-Americans do not agree with communism and we do not really approve of the government’s policy to be associated with the Communist Chinese,” said Johnny Chung-ning Li, an Alhambra architect serving as spokesman for the protesters. “We think that for whatever reason the U.S. government is interested in dealing with Red China, it is very dangerous. It may be a bad deal, and in our belief, with our experience, it will be a bad deal.”

Gov. George Deukmejian, who has explained that Li’s visit conflicted with “a longstanding personal family commitment” in Sacramento, sent Mulford, the state’s protocol chief, to represent him at the airport welcome and evening banquet. The governor has declined to specify the nature of the family commitment.

Political Questions

Some observers have speculated that rivalry between Deukmejian and Bradley, who is expected to challenge Deukmejian in next year’s gubernatorial race, may have played a role in the governor’s decision to give priority to his family commitment. A spokesman for the governor said, however, that “there was just no political consideration in our passing this up.”

Li flew to Los Angeles from Chicago, which he had visited after meeting with President Reagan in Washington on Tuesday. During his Washington stay, representatives of the two countries signed four agreements--a nuclear power cooperation pact, a cultural-exchange protocol, a student-exchange agreement and a measure permitting Chinese fishermen to fish in U.S. waters.

Li is scheduled to tour Disneyland today, appear at an ethnic Chinese banquet at the Beverly Hilton this evening and tour the Jet Propulsion Laboratory near Pasadena Monday morning. He then will fly to Hawaii to conclude his U.S. tour.