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ON
SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 1986
CNTA BIDS FAREWELL TO WIGGHAM *****
THE OUTGOING REGIONAL SECRETARY FOR HONG KONG AND KOWLOON, MR BARRIE WIGGHAM, WAS ONE OF THE MAJOR ARCHITECTS IN THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE FORMER HOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT INTO THE PRESENT CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION.
THIS WAS NOTED BY THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR DONALD LIAO, IN PAYING TRIBUTE TO MR WIGGHAM AT A FAREWELL DINNER GIVEN BY CNTA STAFF LAST (FRIDAY) NIGHT.
WILL MR WIGGHAM, THE SECRETARY FOR GENERAL DUTIES DESIGNATE, LEAVE THE CNTA FOR A WRITTEN CHINESE LANGUAGE COURSE AND THEN PROCEED TO PEKING WHERE HE WILL BE ATTACHED TO THE BRITISH EMBASSY FROM JULY TO OCTOBER. MR LIAO DESCRIBED MR WIGGHAM AS AN ADVENTURER IN EVERY SENSE.
+HE IS ALREADY MAKING HISTORY, EVEN BEFORE TAKING UP HIS NEW JOB AS SECRETARY FOR GENERAL DUTIES, SINCE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME EVER THAT A SERVING CIVIL SERVANT FROM HONG KONG IS TO BE ATTACHED TO THE EMBASSY, HE SAID.
+AS A LINGUIST WHO IS CONVERSANT IN BOTH CANTONESE AND PUTONGHUA, EXPERT IN A FEW EUROPEAN LANGUAGES, THE GOVERNMENT NATURALLY PICKED HIM AS THE MAN TO GO TO PEKING, HE ADDED.
MR LIAO NOTED THAT MR WIGGHAM RECENTLY TRAVELLED AROUND CHINA BY BICYCLE AND HAD VAST KNOWLEDGE OF CHINESE CULTURE AND LANGUAGE.
+HIS CAREER IN THE CIVIL SERVICE HAS BEEN EQUALLY COLOURFUL AND CHALLENGING, HE SAID.
FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS MR WIGGHAM HAD WORKED IN NUMEROUS DEPARTMENTS AND BRANCHES.
MR LIAO SAID AS THE REGIONAL SECRETARY FOR HONG KONG AND KOWLOON, MR WIGGHAM HAD EARNED THE RESPECT OF BOTH COLLEAGUES AND LOCAL LEADERS.
+HIS NEXT JOB, I AM SURE, WILL CREATE AN EVEN GREATER IMPACT ON ALL OF US SINCE HE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DEALING WITH THE SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENT AS THE NEW SECRETARY FOR GENERAL DUTIES, + MR LIAO SAID.
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