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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 1984
SIR GEOFFREY COMING AFTER CHINA VISIT
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AG
IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT OTHER COMMITMENTS WOULD NOT ALLOW THE SECRETARY OF STATE, SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, TO VISIT HONG KONG BEFORE VISITING CHINA IN MID-APRIL FOR TALKS ON HONG KONG WITH THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER AND OTHER CHINESE LEADERS, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON MICHAEL THOMAS, SAID TODAY.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ALLEN LEE AS TO WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD INVITE SIR GEOFFREY TO VISIT HONG KONG BEFORE AS WELL AS AFTER HIS VISIT TO CHINA, MR THOMAS RECALLED THAT SIR GEOFFREY HAD ANNOUNCED IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON MARCH 22 THAT HE WOULD BE VISITING CHINA FOR THE DISCUSSIONS AND THAT HE WOULD TRAVEL ON FROM THERE TO HONG KONG FOR FURTHER DISCUSSIONS AND THAT HE WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO BOTH THESE VISITS.
SIR GEOFFREY WAS AWARE THAT HE WAS WELCOME IN HONG KONG AT ANY TIME, MR THOMAS SAID.
+NEVERTHELESS, HE STRESSED IN HIS STATEMENT ON MARCH 22 THE IMPORTANCE HE ATTACHES TO KEEPING IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH OPINION IN HONG KONG.
+HE REFERRED IN PARTICULAR TO THE VISIT WHICH THE MINISTER OF STATE HAD MADE TO HONG KONG ONLY A MONTH AGO AND TO THE WIDE RANGE OF OPINIONS THAT HAD BEEN CONVEYED TO HIM ON THAT VISIT, MR THOMAS SAID.
+ IN ADDITION, THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF VISITS TO LONDON BY UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL SINCE THE TALKS BEGAN, + MR THOMAS SAID.
THE UNOFFICIALS WILL VISIT LONDON AGAIN FOR TALKS WITH MINISTERS, AND SIR GEOFFREY BEFORE HE DEPARTS ON HIS FAR EAST TOUR.
+THIS WILL ENABLE THEM TO CONVEY TO MINISTERS AT FIRST HAND THE LATEST VIEW OF UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS GENERALLY,* MR THOMAS SAID.
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