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DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN – SUPPLEMENT
ISSUED BY GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES BEACONSFIELD HOUSE, HONG KONG TEL: 5-233191
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1984
PRIME MINISTER MEETS PRESS
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FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER, MRS MARGARET THATCHER, AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE HELD THIS MORNING (FRIDAY) IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL CHAMBER.
+LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS PRESS CONFERENCE IS MY LAST PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN HONG KONG BEFORE I FLY HOME FOR CHRISTMAS, THE LONG WAY ROUND THIS TIME IN ORDER TO SEE PRESIDENT REAGAN.
+AS YOU KNOW, I HAVE JUST BEEN IN PEKING AND MY PURPOSE IN GOING IS TO SIGN THE JOINT DECLARATION ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AND TO TALK PERSONALLY WITH CHINESE LEADERS BOTH ABOUT HONG KONG AND ABOUT THE KEY ISSUES OF WORLD AFFAIRS. I SAID IN PEKING THAT THE AGREEMENT WE HAVE SIGNED WITH CHINA ABOUT HONG KONG IS AN HISTORIC DOCUMENT. IT IS, INDEED; IT IS THE CULMINATION OF TWO YEAR'S LONG AND OFTEN HÅRD NEGOTIATION AND IT IS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW PERIOD IN HONG KONG'S HISTORY.
+ THE FIRST POINT I WISH TO MAKE ABOUT THIS AGREEMENT IS THAT IT ASSURES THE CONTINUATION OF HONG KONG AS A FREE-TRADING CAPITALIST SOCIETY FOR A VERY LONG TIME TO COME - INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE NEXT CENTURY. THIS MEANS THAT HONG KONG CAN PLAN LONG-TERM WITH CONFIDENCE. I BELIEVE CHAIRMAN DENG INTENDS HIS BOLD CONCEPT OF ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS+ TO LAST.
+MY SECOND POINT IS THAT YOU HAVE MY ABSOLUTE ASSURANCE THAT BRITAIN WILL ADMINISTER HONG KONG WISELY AND WELL BETWEEN NOW AND 1997. WE SHALL HONOUR OUR OBLIGATIONS TO THE FULL.
MY THIRD POINT IS THAT BRITAIN WILL NOT MERELY DO ALL IN ITS POWER TO WORK FOR HONG KONG'S STEADY DEVELOPMENT AND A SMOOTH TRANSITION, WE SHALL ALSO SEEK TO WIN THE WIDEST POSSIBLE ACCEPTANCE OF THE AGREEMENT IN THE REST OF THE WORLD.
/WE STARTED