CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
123671
MDHIAN 4890
76,
HKB 011/8
BEGLIV
2 3 SEP 1988
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 23090OZ FCO
TELNO 3581
OF 22114OZ SEPTEMBER 88
INFO DESKBY 23010OZ PEKING
N
MY FIFTH IPT : MY ADDRESS TO LEGCO : IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION
BEGINS
(A) RELATIONS WITH CHINA
170.
WITH CHINA
IN
WE HAVE CONTINUED TO BUILD UP AND DEVELOP CONTACTS
AT ALL LEVELS. I VISITED PEKING, GUANGDONG AND SHANGHAI DECEMBER 1987 AND THE CHIEF SECRETARY WENT TO PEKING AND CHENGDU IN MAY 1988. LATER THIS YEAR I SHALL MAKE A FURTHER VISIT TO PEKING
AND GO ALSO TO FUJIAN. IN JUNE 1988 WE WERE ABLE TO WELCOME THE DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAU OFFICE OF THE STATE COUNCIL, MR JI PENGFEI, ON A SECOND VISIT TO HONG KONG. I WAS ALSO PLEASED THAT VICE PREMIER TIAN JIYUN, THE MOST SENIOR CHINESE LEADER TO VISIT HONG KONG SINCE 1949, WAS ABLE TO SPEND 5 DAYS HERE IN MAY. SUCH HIGH LEVEL VISITS ARE HELPFUL TO BOTH SIDES. THEY ENABLE
CHINESE LEADERS TO SEE FOR THEMSELVES HOW HONG KONG WORKS: AND THEY
ENABLE MANY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG TO GET TO KNOW THE SENIOR CHINESE
LEADERS PERSONALLY.
171.
OUR RELATIONS WITH OUR NEIGHBOURS IN BOTH GUANGDONG AND THE
SHENZHEN ECONOMIC ZONE HAVE CONTINUED TO DEVELOP. I PAID A VISIT SHENZHEN IN MARCH 1988 AND WAS ABLE TO WELCOME THE MAYOR OF SHENZHEN ON A RETURN VISIT TO HONG KONG IN MAY. I AM PLEASED THAT THE GOVERNOR OF GUANGDONG HAS ACCEPTED AN INVITATION TO VISIT HONG KONG IN NOVEMBER. BOTH OFFICIAL CONTACTS, AND THE MULTITUE OF PRIVATE CONTACTS WHICH ARE NOW A REGULAR PRT OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MAINLAND OF CHINA ARE IMPORTANT IN BUILDING GREATER UNDERSTANDING
ON BOTH SIDES AND LAYING LASTING AND MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL FOUNDATIONS
FOR THE FUTURE.
(B) DRAFT BASIC LAW
173.
A DEVELOPMENT OF GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG WAS THE PUBLICATION OF THE FIRST DRAFT OF THE BASIC LAW IN MAY.
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