1989-09-19 23:14 G.I.S
33 P.02
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19.
MINISTER OF STATE GIVES PRESS CONFERENCE
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THE FOLLOWING IS A FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE GIVEN BY THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, MR FRANCIS MAUDE ON SEPTEMBER 19. 1989:
MR FRANCIS MAUDE:
GOOD EVENING TO YOU ALL. I SAID WHEN I ARRIVED ON SUNDAY. THAT I HAD NOT COME TO HONG KONG BEARING MESSAGES. THAT REMAINS THE CASE AND IF I CAME WITH AN EMPTY BAG. I'M CERTAINLY RETURNING WITH ONE FULL OF LASTING IMPRESSIONS FROM MY DISCUSSIONS HERE.
AS YOU WOULD EXPECT, MY TALKS WITH THE GOVERNOR AND ALL HIS TOP ADVISERS HAVE BEEN PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT. ON MY PREVIOUS VISIT. NEARLY A YEAR AGO. I HAD SEEN MUCH OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE TERRITORY. BUT EVEN AS WE FLEW IN ON SUNDAY EVENING. I COULD SEE DRAMATIC CHANGES FROM A YEAR AGO. HONG KONG IS CONTINUING TO DEVELOP AT A BREATHTAKING PACE AND THAT IS THE BEST POSSIBLE AUGURY FOR THE CUTURE.
PRESSURE
I WAS ABLE TO MEET HERE WITH NO FEWER THAN FOURTEEN GROUPS ΤΟ HEAR THEIR PARTICULAR CONCERNS AND THAT WAS AN EXERCISE WHICH I FOUND VALUABLE. MY MEETINGS WITH OMELCO, WITH EXCO, WITH THE CIVIL SERVICE UNIONS AND WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS. ENABLED ME TO BEAR AT FIRST HAND THEIR DEEPLY HELD CONCERNS ON ISSUES SUCH AS NATIONALITY. PACE OF POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE BASIC LAW. SIMILAR THEMES ALSO ENERGED IN THE DISCUSSIONS I HELD WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIAL COMMUNITY.
NOW. ON THE ISSUE OF NATIONALITY. MANY HAVE ASKED ME WHEN WE WILL BE ABLE TO ANNOUNCE DECISIONS. WE'VE SAID WHAT OUR AIM IS. TO GIVE PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS WHOSE SKILLS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR HONG KONG'S CONTINUED SUCCESS. THE CONFIDENCE TO REMAIN. E ARE NOW WORKING HARD ON THE DETAILS. AS HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID. THERE IS NO WAY IN WHICH WE CAN COVER EVERYBODY. THERE WILL HAVE TO BE SOME PROCESS OF SELECTION BUT WE ARE WORKING HARD TO GET THAT PACKAGE RIGHT.
NOW I'M MOST GRATEFUL TO THE GOVERNOR. AND TO HIS COLLEAGUES AND STAFF. FOR ARRANGING THIS VERY FULL PROGRAMME. I'VE BEEN ABLE ΤΟ MEAR. DURING THE COURSE OF THIS SHORT TWO DAYS TOO SHORT TWO DAYS A BROAD RANGE OF OPINION ARTICULATED WITH CONVICTION, CLARITY AND MODERATION.
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FINALLY. THE ISSUE OF THE BOAT PEOPLE. IF I NEEDED CONVINCING THAT THE BURDEN WHICH IS BEING CARRIED BY HONG KONG WAS BECOMING INTOLERABLE. MY TRIP YESTERDAY TO HET LING CHAU, CONVINCED ME. AND I ALSO SAW FURTHER EVIDENCE WHEN WE FLEW OVER WHITEHEAD AND SHEK KONG. IT'S AN
ISSUE WHICH IS OF UNIQUE IMPORTANCE TO ALL OF THOSE WHO г SPOKE TO IN HONG KONG. IT'S OF THE HIGHEST IMPORTANCE FOR US IN "K GOVERNMENT ALSO.
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