THURSDAY, MAY 20, 1982

NEW GOVERNOR ASSUMES OFFICE

SIR EDWARD PLEDGES TO WORK FOR PEOPLE'S WELFARE

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HONG KONG'S NEW GOVERNOR, HIS EXCELLENCY SIR EDWARD YOUDE, TODAY PLEDGED TO DO ALL HE CAN FOR THE WELFARE AND PROSPERITY OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND TO MAKE THE FUTURE OF THE TERRITORY A BRIGHT ONE.

+1 RECOGNISE THE HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE GOOD GOVERNMENT AND WELL-BEING OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WHICH THIS OFFICE BEARS AND I PLEDGE THAT I WILL DO MY UTMOST TO FULFIL IT,+ SIR EDWARD SAID IN HIS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH SHORTLY AFTER BEING SWORN IN AS HONG KONG'S 26TH GOVERNOR BEFORE SOME 1 400 PEOPLE IN THE CITY HALL CONCERT HALL.

MANY OTHERS HEARD OR WATCHED THE SWEARING-IN CEREMONY WHICH WAS BROADCAST LIVE OVER RADIO AND TELEVISION.

OF THE FUTURE, SIR EDWARD SAID: + BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE SOUND GROUNDS FOR CONFIDENCE AND THAT THE OMENS ARE GOOD.+

HONG KONG WOULD NEED CONFIDENCE IN ITS FUTURE TO ACHIEVE ITS GOALS, HE SAID, NOTING THAT IT WAS NOT SURPRISING, GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE LEASE THAT THIS ISSUE SHOULD NOW BE RAISED.

THE COMMITMENT OF HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT TO HONG KONG AND THE INTERESTS OF ITS PEOPLE REMAINS FIRM, HE SAID. AND THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ON WHICH SO MUCH DEPENDS HAS NEVER BEEN MORE CORDIAL.

+ IF THERE IS AN ISSUE TO BE ADDRESSED, THERE IS ALSO, IN ADDRESSING IT, A COMMON RECOGNITION OF THE VITAL IMPORTANCE OF THE CONTINUED PROSPERITY AND STABILITY OF THIS TERRITORY AND A COMMON WISH TO PRESERVE THEM.

+ IN CONSEQUENCE I SEE GOOD REASON WHY CONFIDENCE SHOULD REMAIN HIGH, + SIR EDWARD SAID.

IN THEIR WELCOMING SPEECHES, THE CHIEF SECRETARY,

SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, AND THE SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, SIR SZE-YUEN CHUNG, PLEDGED HONG KONG'S FULL SUPPORT AND COOPERATION TO THE NEW GOVERNOR.

SIR EDWARD AND LADY YOUDE ARRIVED BY AIR FROM BANGKOK AT 3 PM.

THEY WERE GREETED AT THE AIRPORT BY SIR PHILIP AND LADY HADDON-CAVE, THE CHIEF JUSTICE SIR DENYS ROBERTS, THE COMMANDER BRITISH FORCES, MAJOR-GENERAL JOHN CHAPPLE AND MRS CHAPPLE, SIR SZE-YUEN CHUNG, SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, MR ROGER LOBO, SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AND MRS LOBJ.

SIR EDWARD THEN MET MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES AT THE AIRPORT FOR HIS FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE AS GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG SEFORE PROCEEDING BY CAR T KOWLOON PUBLIC FIER TO BOARD +THE LADY MAURINE

/218 DDWARD,

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