ARRACA (3)
VISIT OF LORD GLENARTHUR TO HONG KONG: 7-11 JANUARY 1989
BRIEF NO.2: MEETING WITH EXCO
(a) Opening Statement
1.
I am delighted once again to have this opportunity to meet you
all today. This meeting, and my current visit to Hong Kong, are the
latest in a series of what I hope will be a regular six monthly
pattern. I believe that it is essential for me to keep in close contact in this way and to hear what is on people's minds. particularly important for me to know what is on your minds. That is why I greatly value these meetings and your comments.
It is
2. Let me first take this opportunity formally to congratulate Dame Lydia Dunn on her appointment as Senior Member of Exco and on her
honour in the New Year's List. I know that she is making a very
worthy successor to Sir S Y Chung and I am delighted that the Governor, and the British Government, will have the benefit of her
wisdom and sound advice.
3. May I also extend my congratulations to the other recently appointed members of Exco (Rosanna Tam, John Swaine, Cheng Hon-kwan and Rita Fan). You each have your own important contributions to make to the administration of the territory, through your advice and participation. It is greatly appreciated.
4.
On this visit the problem of the Vietnamese Boat People is once again high on my agenda. I have just been to an open camp and one of the closed centres and have had talks with the Governor and Senior Hong Kong Government officials concerned with these matters. I am well aware of the burden Hong Kong is carrying. We are prepared to shoulder our full share of this burden. As you know, we announced at the end of last year our readiness in principle to take in 1,000 more boat people from Hong Kong provided other countries confirmed their willingness to take substantial additional numbers from Hong Kong. I am hopeful that the international community will