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FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 1986
UK MINISTER LEAVES AFTER STOPOVER VISIT
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THE BRITISH MINISTER FOR THE ARTS, MR RICHARD LUCE, LEFT HONG KONG THIS EVENING AFTER A TWO-DAY STOPOVER VISIT.
MR LUCE HAD EARLIER PAID AN OFFICIAL EIGHT-DAY VISIT TO CHINA.
THE FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF A WRITTEN STATEMENT ISSUED BY MR LUCE SHORTLY BEFORE HE LEFT:
+1 HAVE VERY MUCH ENJOYED VISITING HONG KONG AGAIN, THIS TIME IN MY NEW CAPACITY AS MINISTER FOR THE ARTS, AND RENEWING OLD ACQUAINTANCES.
+ALTHOUGH THIS VISIT IS ONLY A BRIEF ONE, I WAS ABLE TO MEET QUITE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE CONNECTED WITH THE LOCAL ARTS AND CULTURAL SCENE. I HAD A VERY FULL BRIEFING BY THE SECRETARY FOR MUNICIPAL SERVICES, MR PATRICK WILLIAMSON, ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERFORMING ARTS IN HONG KONG. I ALSO MET MR AUGUSTINE CHUI, DIRECTOR OF URBAN SERVICES, WHO GAVE ME A COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE ON VARIOUS CULTURAL ACTIVITIES PROVIDED BY THE URBAN COUNCIL.
+1 VERY MUCH ENJOYED MY VISIT THIS MORNING TO THE ACADEMY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, WHERE THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ACADEMY'S COUNCIL, MR ALEX WU, SHOWED ME THE WIDE RANGE OF FACILITIES AVAILABLE. MY VISIT TO THE TEAWARE MUSEUM IN FLAGSTAFF HOUSE WAS ALSO EXTREMELY INTERESTING.
+FROM MY PREVIOUS VISITS, I AM OF COURSE AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF HONG KONG, NOT ONLY AS AN INTERNATIONAL TRADING AND FINANCIAL CENTRE, BÚT IN THE ARTS AND CULTURAL SCENE. WITH THE COMPLETION OF THE MAGNIFICIENT ACADEMY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, HONG KONG IS NOW EVEN MORE FIRMLY ESTABLISHED AS THE INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL CENTRE OF SOUTH EAST ASIAT A POSITION WHICH WILL BE REINFORCED BY THE URBAN COUNCIL'S AMBITIOUS PLANS FOR THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURAL FACILITIES.+
MR AND MRS. LUCE WERE SEEN OFF AT THE AIRPORT BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, AND LADY YOUDE.
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