WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 1984
UMELCO ACHIEVED OVERALL AIM IN LONDON LO
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AS A WHOLE, THE AIM OF THE UMELCO DELEGATION'S RECENT VISIT TO LONDON HAD BEEN ACHIEVED, THE HON T.S. LO SAID AT THE ADJOURNMENT DEFATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
THIS AIM WAS TO REFLECT THE VIEWS AND WISHES OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE TO THE BRITISH MINISTERS AND MPS BEFORE THE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.
THE DELEGATION HAD ALSO AROUSED THE CONCERN OF THE BRITISH PUBLIC TOWARDS THE PROBLEMS RELATING TO HONG KONG'S FUTURE, MR LO SAID.
MR LO POINTED OUT THAT UMELCO DECIDED AT ITS MEETING LAST FRIDAY THAT IT WISHED TO PLACE ON FORMAL RECORD ITS POSITION PAPER AND TO REPORT ON THE TRIP OF ITS DELEGATION TO LONDON UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, SIR S.Y. CHUNG.
HE THEN GAVE AN ACCOUNT OF THE PREPARATION OF THE POSITION PAPER AND THE ACTIVITIES OF THE DELEGATION IN LONDON FROM MAY 9 TO MAY 22.
HE SAID, DURING OUR STAY, WE MET MANY MPS FAMILIAR WITH OR CONCERNED ABOUT HONG KONG AND WE EXPLAINED TO THEM THE VIEWS, WISHES, FEARS AND FEELINGS OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE.
*WE ALSO HAD MANY PRESS, RADIO AND TELEVISION INTERVIEWS AT WHICH WE CONVEYED TO THE UK PUBLIC THE PROBLEM OF HONG KONG'S FUTURE.
+TO KEEP THE PEOPLE IN HONG KONG ABREAST OF THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT, WE GAVE DAILY PRESS BRIEFINGS FOR THE HONG KONG REPORTERS IN LONDON, SOMETIMES AT 3 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
+WE WERE ENCOURAGED AND GRATEFUL FOR THE RESPONSE OF THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE VERY MANY SUPPORTIVE TELEX MESSAGES THEY SENT,+ HE SAID.
HE APPLAUDED MEMBERS OF THE PRESS WHO WENT TO LONDON TO COVER THE VISIT FOR THE IR SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG+.
ON THE TIMING OF THE VISIT, HE SAID, ON APRIL 20, THE BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY, SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, MADE A STATEMENT IN HONG KONG AND FOR THE FIRST TIME BRITAIN REVEALED PART OF THE CONTENTS OF THE TALKS ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE.
+BEFORE THAT, THE TALKS WERE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL AND
THE PEOPLE'S THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THEM. VIEWS AND WISHES CANNOT BE REFLECTED IN A VACUUM,+
TO THE ARGUMENT THAT UMELCO SHOULD WAIT A LITTLE LONGER FOR A MORE DETAILED ANNOUNCEMENT BEFORE GOING TO LONDON, HE SAID, +IT WAS ONLY WHEN WE LEARNED THAT THE HOUSE OF COMMONS WOULD HOLD A DEBATE ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG WITHIN THE WEEK COMMENCING MAY 14 THAT WE DECIDED TO SEND A DELEGATION TO LONDON,+
/HE EXPLAINED .....................