WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 1984
PEOPLE'S WELFARE OF PRIME CONCERN SIR GEOFFREY
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THE FUTURE WELFARE AND PROSPERITY OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG IS THE PRIME CONCERN OF HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT, THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING TO REPORTERS ON ARRIVAL AT THE HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FROM PEKING, SIR GEOFFREY SAID HE HAD SPENT THE PAST THREE DAYS IN DISCUSSIONS WITH CHINESE LEADERS UP TO AND INCLUDING CHAIRMAN DENG.
+THE TALKS HAVE BEEN FRIENDLY, SERIOUS AND PRODUCTIVE.
*WE'VE SPENT ABOUT NINE HOURS ACTUALLY ENGAGED IN TALKS TOGETHER, AND MOST OF THAT TIME HAS RIGHTLY BEEN CONCENTRATED ON WHAT IS NECESSARY TO SECURE THE FUTURE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG.
+THE FORMAL NEGOTIATIONS START AGAIN ON APRIL 27, AND THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF WORK STILL TO BE DONE IF WE ́ARE TO SECURE THE COMMON OBJECTIVE OF REACHING THE AGREEMENT THAT WE ALL WANT.
+ THE TALKS THAT I'VE HAD IN PEKING HAVE CERTAINLY HELPED US ALONG THAT ROAD.
+WE INTEND TO CONTINUE WORKING AS HARD AS WE CAN FOR THAT OUTCOME, + HE SAID.
THE FOREIGN SECRETARY SAID HE WAS GLAD TO ARRIVE IN HONG KONG.
+1 WILL BE SPENDING THE NEXT THREE DAYS MEETING AGAIN WITH MEMBERS OF EXCO AND LEGCO, AND OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE LEADERS OF OPINION IN HONG KONG.
+1 AM GLAD TO BE HERE BECAUSE AS YOU MUST KNOW, THE FUTURE WELFARE AND PROSPERITY OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG IS THE PRIME CONCERN OF HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT, HE SAID.
ARRIVING IN HONG KONG TOGETHER WITH SIR GEOFFREY WAS THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE. OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PARTY INCLUDED LADY HOWE, SIR PERCY CRADOCK, DEPUTY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE AT THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE, SIR RICHARD EVANS, BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO PEKING, DR DAVID WILSON, ASSISTANT UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE AT THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE, AND MR P.J. GOULDEN, HEAD OF THE NEWS DEPARTMENT OF THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE.
THE PARTY WAS MET AT THE AIRPORT BY LADY YOUDE, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, THE SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, SIR SZE-YUEN CHUNG, THE SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
MR ROGER LOBO, THE SENIOR BRITISH TRADE COMMISSIONER, MR CHRISTIAN ADAMS, AND MR LI CHUWEN OF THE NCNA.
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