7
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1982
PRIME MINISTER'S OPENING STATEMENT AT
PRESS CONFERENCE
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THE FOLLOWING OPENING STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER AT HER PRESS CONFERENCE THIS (MONDAY) AFTERNOON IS ISSUED FOR YOUR REFERENCE.
+LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, CAN I FIRST SAY HOW PLEASED
AM TO BE BACK IN HONG KONG AFTER FIVE YEARS, AND HOW PROUD ! AM TO BE THE FIRST BRITISH PRIME MINISTER IN OFFICE TO VISIT THE TERRITORY. SUCH A VISIT HAS BEEN LONG OVERDUE.
+THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT ABOUT THE CLOSE AND CONTINUING LINKS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND HONG KONG: HONG KONG THIS YEAR IS TAKING MORE EXPORTS FROM BRITAIN THAN ANY OTHER MARKETS IN ASIA. AS I TOLD BUSINESSMEN AT LUNCH TODAY, THERE IS STILL SCOPE FOR MORE TRADE IN BOTH DIRECTIONS AND IT'S IN OUR MUTUAL INTERESTS, THE ECONOMIC LINKS IN THEMSELVES INDICATE OUR COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG ALTHOUGH THE COMMITMENT IS MUCH GREATER THAN THAT.
+AS YOU KNOW, ON THIS TOUR I HAVE ALSO BEEN TO JAPAN AND CHINA - PEKING, SHANGHAI AND CANTON. EVERYWHERE I WAS MADE VERY WELCOME AND I'D LIKE TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE HOSPITALITY WE RECEIVED. THIS WARMTH ALSO SET THE TONE FOR OUR OFFICIAL DISCUSSIONS. IN CHINA I HAD LENGTHY AND DETAILED TALKS BOTH WITH PREMIER ZHAO AND CHAIRMAN DENG. WE COVERED A LOT OF GROUND AND WE HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS ON MANY INTERNATIONAL ISSUES. WE ALSO DISCUSSED SOME BILATERAL TOPICS AS YOU KNOW, INCLUDING THE PROSPECTS FOR INCREASED TRADE BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES.
+IN CANTON, WHERE I TALKED TO GOVERNOR LIU, WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE PROPOSED GUANGDONG NUCLEAR POWER STATION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFSHORE OIL. I HOPE THAT BRITISH FIRMS WILL BE ABLE TO PLAY A LARGE ROLE IN EQUIPPING THE POWER STATION AND IN DEVELOPING THE OIL RESOURCES. WHILE I WAS IN CANTON, THE LETTER OF INTENT WAS SIGNED BETWEEN CABLE AND WIRELESS AND THE GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES TO SET UP A TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM TO BACK UP THE OIL DEVELOPMENT.
+PERHAPS YOU'LL BE MOST INTERESTED IN THE OUTCOME OF MY DISCUSSIONS IN PEKING ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, WHICH OCCUPIED SOME 4-1/2 HOURS. AFTER MY MEETING WITH CHAIRMAN DENG, WE ISSUED AN AGREED STATEMENT WHICH I WILL REPEAT THE LEADERS OF BOTH COUNTRIES HELD FAR-REACHING TALKS IN A FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. BOTH LEADERS MADE CLEAR THEIR RESPECTIVE POSITIONS ON THIS SUBJECT THEY AGREED TO ENTER INTO TALKS THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS FOLLOWING THE VISIT, WITH THE COMMON AIM FOR MAINTAINING THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG''.
+COULD I ONCE AGAIN DRAW ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT THE CHINESE LEADERS AND IDENTIFIED A COMMON AIM OF MAINTAINING STABILITY AND PROSPERITY IN HONG KONG.
/+IN HONG