98
GR 1000
UNCLASSIFIED
DESKBY WASHINGTON, UKMIS NEW YORK 2812OOZ
FM HONG KONG 28103OZ SEP 83
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1428 OF 28 SEPTEMBER
HACK 027/20
WCIVED IN ALUSTA 2 8 SEP 1983
INTRA
AND TO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON (FOR INGHAM, PM'S PARTY), UKMIS NEW-A YORK (FOR GOULDEN, S OF S'S PARTY), PEKING
FOR NEWS DEPARTMENT FROM ROBERTS.
MY TELNO 1421: MR LUCE'S VISIT TO HONG KONG.
FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF MR LUCE'S OPENING REMARKS AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE THIS AFTERNOON AT 083OZ
FURST OF ALL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING. MY GRATITUDE MAY BE WISHFUL THINKING AT THE END OF 45 MINUTES BUT AM GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR COMING. ** WOULD LIKE FIRST OF ALL TO SAY A FEW WORDS AND THEN I'LL BE PLEASED TO TRY AND ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
IT'S NOW EXACTLY FIVE YEARS AGO THAT FIRST CAME TO HONG KONG:
WAS THEN SHADOW SPOKESMAN FOR THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY ON FOREIGN
POLICY AND #CAME AS THE GUEST OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. AND
NOW FHWE YEARS LATER HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF RETURMING AS MINISTER OF STATE HAVING TAKEN UP MY NEW DUTIES AS THE MINISTER OF STATE RESPONSIBLE FOR HONG KONG AFFAIRS IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR. JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU, THEREFORE, OF THE PURPOSE OF MY VISIT.
ARRIVED LAST SATURDAY AND IN LEAVE LATE TONIGHT FOR LONDON. THE PURPOSE FIRSTLY MS THAT AS NEWLY RESPONSIBLE MINISTER OF STATE
WANTED TO LEARN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ABOUT NOT ONLY THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN HONG KONG BUT ABOVE ALL THE FEELINGS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AT THIS TIME IN THE HISTORY OF HONG KONG. AND DURING THE COURSE OF WHAT IS, THINK, A VERY FULL PROGRAMME • HAVE HEARD THE WIEWS OF A VERY BROAD CROSS-SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY OF HONG KONG. HAVE LISTENED WITH THE GREATEST OF CARE BECAUSE # REGARD NT VERY MUCH AS A PRIORITY AND A DUTY TO HEAR THE VIEWS OF THE BROADEST POSSIBLE CROSS-SECTION OF PEOPLE IN THIS TERRITORY. AND I'VE SEEN FOR MYSELF SOMETHING OF THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE EVEN SINCE MY LAST VISIT SOME FIVE YEARS AGO AND MUST SAY AM DEEPLY IMPRESSED BY THE
ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND IN THE CREATION BY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG OF SUCH A SUCCESSFUL AND VIBRANT SOCIETY.
I'D LIKE YOU TO KNOW THAT WILL OBVIOUSLY BE REPORTING MY IMPRESSIONS, REACTIONS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO THE FOREIGN SECRETARY, SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, ON MY RETURN.
NOW AT THIS STAGE I WANT TO STATE AND RESTATE AS STRONGLY AS
CONCEIVABLY CAN THAT BRITAIN REMAINS FIRMLY COMMITTED TO THE OBJECTIVE OF AIMING FOR A SOLUTION WHICH IS ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, TO THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT AND TO THE
/ GOVERNMENT
RY
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