TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1985
JI PENGFEI BEGINS HONG KONG VISIT
****
CHINA'S STATE COUNCILLOR AND DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE, MR JI PENGFEI, ARRIVED THIS (TUESDAY) MORNING FOR THE START OF HIS FOUR-DAY VISIT TO HONG KONG AT THE INVITATION OF THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE.
MR JI, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS DEPUTY, MR LI HOU, AND A PARTY OF SIX, WAS MET ON ARRIVAL FROM PEKING BY SIR EDWARD AND LADY YOUDE,
IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT ISSUED AT THE AIRPORT, MR JI SAID: +AT THE INVITATION OF SIR EDWARD YOUDE, GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG, AND THE FIVE HONGKONG-BASED VICE CHAIRMEN OF THE COMMITTEE FOR DRAFTING THE BASIC LAW OF THE SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF HONG KONG OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, I AM VERY HAPPY TO VISIT HONG KONG ON THE EVE OF THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE FORMAL SIGNING OF THE JOINT DECLARATION ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG BY THE GOVERNMENTS OF CHINA AND THE UNITED KINGDOM.
+DURING THE LAST FEW YEARS, I HAVE MET IN BEIJING QUITE A FEW FRIENDS FROM HONG KONG, WHO HAVE EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT 1 COULD PAY A VISIT TO HONG KONG. PERSONALLY SHARE THE IR IDEA.
+THE MAIN PURPOSE OF MY CURRENT VISIT IS TO GAIN FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE OF HONG KONG, TO MEET OLD FRIENDS WHILE MAKING THE ACQUAINTANCE OF NEW FRIENDS, AND TO HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE OF ALL STRATA THEIR VIEWS ON THE MAINTENANCE OF STABILITY AND PROSPERITY IN HONG KONG AND ON THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW. I BELIEVE THAT THIS VISIT WILL BE CONDUCIVE TO OUR DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SITUATION IN HONG KONG AND TO THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW.
+ IN CONCLUSION, I WISH TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY OF EXTENDING MY CORDIAL GREETINGS TO FRIENDS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE AND TO ALL THE COMPATRIOTS IN HONG KONG.+
ALSO PRESENT WERE THE DIRECTOR OF XINHUA NEWS AGENCY (HONG KONG BRANCH), MR XU JIATUN, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS- JONES, THE SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, SIR SZE-YUEN CHUNG, AND THE SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MISS LYDIA DUNN.
OTHERS FROM XINHUA NEWS AGENCY WHO MET MR JI WERE MR LI CHUWEN, MR ZHENG HUA, MR CHENG DAMING, MR CHEN BOIJIAN AND MR QIAO ZONGHUAT.
VICE CHAIRMEN OF THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE WHO WERE PRESENT INCLUDED SIR YUE-KONG PAO, MR DAVID K.P. LI, MR T.K. ANN AND MR FEI YI-MIN.
/MR JIANG