EN CLAIR
FROM HONG KONG
UNCLASSIFIED
TO ROUTINE FCO TELIO BIS 1
OF 13 FEBRUARY
FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF STATEMENT BY THE SECRETARY
OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS SIR ALEC
DOUGLAS HOME ON ARRIVAL AT KAITAK AIRPORT
TODAY COLON PARA QUOTE MAY EYE SAY IMMEDIATELY
HOW GLAD EYE AM TO BE IN HONG KONG STOP EYE HAVE ONLY
BEEN HERE ONCE BEFORE STOP EYE AM VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THE
CHANCE TO TALK WITH THE GOVERNOR AND THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGIS-
LATIVE COUNCILS STOP PARA QUOTE EYE HOPE EYE CAN DO SOMETHING
AS FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY SEMI COLON
THE LAST TIME EYE CAME EYE WAS NOT IN OFFICE
STOP EYE HOPE EYE CAN DO SOMETHING TO SHOW
THE CONFIDENCE THAT BRITAIN HAS IN THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG
AND CONVEY THAT UNMISTAKABLY TO THE PEOPLE
HERE STOP PARA QUOTE AND THEN AGAIN EYE HOPE EYE CAN
REASURRE THE PEOPLE
OF HONG KONG THAT BRITAIN APOSTROPHE SSS ENTRY INTO
THE COMMON MARKET WILL NOT BE TO THE DETRIMENT OF HONG KONG
SEMI COLON ON THE CONTRARY BOTH TO THE GAIN OF BRITAIN
AND OF PEOPLE HERE STOP PARA QUOTE AND SO EYE THINK THAT
IS ALL EYE WOULD WISH TO SAY NOW EXCEPT THAT EYE AM NOT
GOING TO
TALK VERY MUCH WHILE EYE AM HERE BUT GOING TO LISTEN
AND EYE HOP TO LEARN AND
THEREBY TO LAY THE FOUNDATIONS OF CLOSE AND INTIMATE
RELATIONS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND HONG KONG
FOR FUTURE YEARS STOP THANK YOU VERY MUCH STOP UNQUOTE PARA
AYE REPORTER ASKED SIR ALSC THE FOLLOWING
69
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