IS
}
}
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DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN-SUPPLEMENT
ISSUED BY GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES BEACONSFIELD HOUSE. HONG KONG TEL 5-233191
FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 1986
STATEMENT BY MR TIMOTHY RENTON, MINISTER OF STATE AT THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE, AT PRESS CONFERENCE
IN HONG KONG ON JANUARY 24, 1986
I AM DELIGHTED TO MEET YOU ALL AGAIN, ALTHOUGH SORRY ONCE AGA IN TO GET YOU ALL UP SO EARLY IN THE MORNING. AS YOU KNOW, THE PRIME PURPOSE OF MY VISIT THIS TIME IS TO TAKE UP THE PLAN RICHARD LUCE HAD BEFORE HE BECAME MINISTER OF THE ARTS TO VISIT CHINA AND THE FAR EAST. I AM PARTICULARLY PLEASED THAT THIS GIVES ME THE CHANCE OF A FURTHER SHORT VISIT TO HONG KONG, LESS THAN THREE MONTHS AFTER I LAST LEFT, I CAME AS YOU KNOW FROM CHINA WHERE I HAVE JUST SPENT FIVE DAYS. THIS WAS MY FIRST VISIT AND
IT PRESENTED AN INVALUABLE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE CHINA AT FIRST HAND. THIS INCLUDED VISITS TO SHANGHAI, CANTON AND SHENZHEN, WHERE I WAS ABLE TO SEE DEVELOPMENTS MANY OF WHICH WILL BE OF CONSIDERABLE FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL INTEREST TO HONG KONG.
I AM SURE IT IS RIGHT THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A BROADER AND DEEPER ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA, AND THE
INCREASE IN CONTACT AND UNDERSTANDING WHICH WILL GO WITH IT, CAN ONLY BE GOOD FOR HONG KONG. THIS WILL CONSOLIDATE CHINA'S OPEN-DOOR POLICY, AND ENHANCE HONG KONG'S IMPORTANCE AS A UNIQUELY CONVENIENT PLACE FROM WHICH BUSINESS CAN BE DONE IN CHINA.
IN PEKING, I HAD A SERIES OF USEFUL TALKS WITH CHINESE LEADERS. PRIMARILY WITH VICE MINISTER ZHOU NAN BUT ALSO WITH FOREIGN MINISTER WU XUEQIAN AND STATE COUNCILLOR JI PENGFE, THE HEAD OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE OF THE STATE COUNCIL, WHO WAS OF COURSE THE GOVERNOR'S GUEST HERE IN HONG KONG RECENTLY. AND WITH XU ZHEN OF THE STATE ECONOMIC COMMISSION. THE ATMOSPHERE AND THE TONE OF THE MEETINGS WERE VERY SATISFACTORY. IT HARDLY NEEDS SAYING THAT THE BETTER MINISTERS ON EACH SIDE KNOW EACH OTHER, THE MORE LIKELY THERE IS TO BE TRUST AND UNDERSTANDING.
/SINCE MY