209 2105
UNCLASSIFIED
M HONG KONG 061135Z APR 79
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 445 OF 6 APRIL
INFO IMMCDIATE PEKING
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INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE-LONDON MIET: GOVERNORS VISIT TO CHINA. FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF THE GOVERNORS OPENING REMARKS AT TODAYLO
PRESS CONFERENCE,
1. FIRSTLY IT WAS A GOODWILL VISIT: THERE USED TO BE, AS IT WERE, A SCREEN BETWEEN THE HONG KONG OFFICIAL ESTABLISHMENT AND CHINESE OFFICIALS IN HONG KONG, GUANGZHOU AND PEKING. AS RELATIONS IMPROVED THE SCREEN HAS GRADUALLY DISSOLVED. IT HAS NOW GONE AND THIS OUR VISIT DEMONSTRATED. WE ALREADY HAVE CLOSE LIAISON WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS IN HONG KONG, BUT OUR SECOND OBJECTIVE WAS, IN ADDITION, TO ESTABLISH DIRECT CONTACT WITH LEADERS IN GUANGDONG
AND PEKING. THIRDLY AND IMPORTANTLY WE WISHED THROUGH THESE CONTACTS TO GAIN AN IMPRESSION OF THE PART THE CHINESE LEADERS
AND SAW HONG KONG PLAYING IN THE MODERNISATION PROGRAMMES, THE WAY THESE PROGRAMMES COULD AFFECT HONG KONG.
2. IT WAS NOT A NEGOTIATING VISIT OR A VISIT TO DRAFT AGREEMENTS. SO THERE COULD BE NO QUESTION OF OUR COMING BACK WITH A PORTFOLIO
OF AGREEMENTS IN OUR POCKETS.
3. THE PRINCIPAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE VISIT WAS SIMPLY THAT THE INVITATION WAS ISSUED AND THAT THE VISIT TOOK PLACE. IT MARKED A MORE NORMAL AND FRANKER RELATIONSHIP, AND RECOGNITION THAT THIS WOULD BE TO OUR MUTUAL BENEFIT,
4. YOU KNOW THE PLACES WE VISITED. IN GUANGZHOU, PEKING AND GUANGZHOU AGAIN WE HAD LONG DISCUSSIONS WITH THE RELEVANT LEADERS. THE PART OF THE TOUR TO XIAN AND LANZHOU WAS PURELEY TOURISTIC,
THOUGH QUITE FASCINATING.
5. YOU NATURALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE DISCUSSED. IN CHINA VISITORS ARE EXPECTED TO OBSERVE A GOOD DEAL OF DISCRETION ABOUT WHAT THEY DIVULGE OF CONFIDENTIAL DISCUSSIONS WITH NATIONAL LEADERS. I KNOW SOME VISITORS MAKE CAPITAL OUT OF BREAKING THIS CUSTOGM, BUT SINCE I HOPE THAT THIS IS NOT THE LAST TIME A GOVERNOR WILL VISIT GUANGZHOU OR PEKING OR BE RECEIVED BY NATIONAL LEADERS WITH THE FRANKNESS WE WERE, I WISH TO BE PARTICULARLY CAREFUL TO OBSERVE CUSTOMARY DISCRETION. I AM SURE YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THIS. NEVER-
THELESS THER IS A LOT I CAN SAY,
16. FIRST
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