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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 1980
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+ IF THERE ARE FURTHER HEARINGS IN HONG KONG, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WILL PRESUMABLY GIVE EVIDENCE.
+IN THAT CASE I WOULD ASK THEM TO CONSIDER WHETHER THE SOLUTION WHICH I HAVE ADOPTED DOES NOT REFLECT EXACTLY THE PHILOSOPHY ON WHICH HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC SUCCESS HAS BEEN BASED, AND WHETHER SOME WAY CANNOT BE FOUND TO TRANSFORM THAT PHILOSOPHY INTO FACT IN THE PRESENT CASE, SAID MR NOTT.
HIS DECISION WAS IMMEDIATELY WELCOMED BY SIR YUET-KEUNG KAN,
ANOTHER SPEAKER AT THE DRAGON BOAT DINNER.
HE SAID IT WAS SEEN AS A CLEAR DEMONSTRATION OF BRITAIN'S INTEREST IN MAINTAINING THE PRINCIPLES OF FREE TRADE AND FAIR COMPETITION.
SIR Y.K. CONFINED HIS ADDRESS TO TRADE BETWEEN THE UNITED KINGDOM, HONG KONG AND CHINA AND MADE REFERENCE TO HIS RECENT UK- HONG KONG TRADE MISSION TO GUANGDONG PROVINCE.
+ IT HAS BECOME QUITE CLEAR TO ME, DURING MY RECENT VISITS TO CHINA, THAT THE BASIC OBJECTIVES OF THAT COUNTRY WILL BE CONCENTRATED ON COMMUNICATIONS AND ENERGY.
+ IN BOTH FIELDS BRITAIN HAS MUCH TO OFFER. BY COMBINING OUR RESOURCES AND TALENTS WE WILL BOTH BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGES OF THE ENORMOUS OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE BEING OFFERED, SAID SIR Y.K.
HOWEVER, TO DO THIS SUCCESSFULLY, UK-HONG KONG POSITIONS WOULD HAVE TO BE CLAR IF IED. HONG KONG AND BRITAIN, HE SAID HAVE FREQUENTLY MISUNDERSTOOD EACH OTHER.
+FOR MY PART I FEEL THAT HONG KONG'S PERFORMANCE HAS BEEN UNDERRATED BY MANY IN THIS COUNTRY, HE SAID.
SIR Y.K. SAID THE FUTURE WOULD NOT BE EASY AND THE UNDERSTANDING SOUGHT COULD BE LIKENED TO A DELICATE FLOWER WHICH TO BE NURTURED.
+THOSE IN HONG KONG WHO KNOW YOU (MR NOTT), UNDERSTAND YOUR INTENTIONS, BUT THERE REMAIN MISUNDERSTANDING AND EVEN SUSPICIONS HE SAID.
EARLIER, MR NOTT TOLD GUESTS AT THE DINNER THAT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BRITAIN AND HONG KONG WAS ONE TO WHICH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ATTACHED THE GREATEST IMPORTANCE.
CIVIL AVIATION WAS THE CURRENT ISSUE IN RELATIONS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND HONG KONG AND THE DECISION HE HAD TAKEN SHOULD RESULT IN BRINGING HONG KONG AND BRITAIN CLOSER TOGETHER, HE SAID,
IN REPLY TO THIS, SIR Y.K. ADDED THAT BY WORKING CLOSE TOGETHER THE ECONOMIC BATTLES CAN BE WON AND OUR JO FIT FUTURES WILL BRING NOT ONLY GREATLY INCREASED ECONOMIC TIES, BUT ALSO A WARMER AND CLOSER RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR PEOPLE.+
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