1
- 5
FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 1987
TRANSCRIPT OF PRESS CONFERENCE
****
FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE SATELLITE-LINK PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE NEW GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG, SIR DAVID WILSON TODAY 1
JOHN CHAN, DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES:
GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THIS SATELLITE PRESS CONFERENCE. IN OUR STUDIO HERE ON BROADCAST DRIVE, REPRESENTATIVES OF HONG KONG AND OVERSEAS NEWS MEDIA ARE WAITING TO TALK TO OUR NEXT GOVERNOR SIR DAVID WILSON, WHO IS AT PRESENT IN THE BRITISH TELECOM STUDIÓ
IN LONDON. SIR DAVID IS OF COURSE NO STRANGER TO HONG KONG. HE WAS POLITICAL ADVISER HERE FROM 1977 TO 81, HE WAS CLOSELY INVOLVED IN THE SINO-BRITISH NEGOTIATIONS ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE; AND HE HAS BEEN SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE ON THE BRITISH SIDE OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT LIAISON GROUP SINCE ITS INCEPTION. WELL, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET'S CROSS OVER TO LONDON.
JOHN CHAN GOOD MORNING SIR DAVID, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR APPOINTMENT AND ON YOUR KNIGHTHOOD, MAY I INVITE
YOU TO SAY A FEW WORDS TO OUR FRIENDS FROM THE MEDIA TO START WITH?
SIR DAVIDI
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND GOOD EVENING TO ALL OF YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD MORNING TO ME IN LONDON, BUT I KNOW IT'S EVENING FOR YOU. PERHAPS I COULD START BY SAYING A FEW WORDS. AS YOU KNOW THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT HAS JUST BEEN MADE TWO HOURS AGO THAT HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN HAS APPROVED MY APPOINTMENT AS GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT IT IS A GREAT PRIVILEGE AND ALSO A GREAT CHALLENGE TO BE GIVEN THIS RESPONSIBILITY. MUCH OF MY OWN WORK ING LIFE HAS BEEN SPENT EITHER IN OR INVOLVED WITH HONG KONG AND DEVELOPED GREAT ADMIRATION AND GREAT AFFECTION FOR THE TERRITORY AND ITS PEOPLE. AM DELIGHTED AND I AM HONOURED TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE HONG KONG AS GOVERNOR. AT THE SAME TIME I HAVE TO SAY THAT I TAKE UP THIS TASK WITH A CERTAIN SENSE OF SADNESS, WITH SADNESS BECAUSE I SHALL BE TAKING THE PLACE OF SIR EDWARD YOUDE, A VERY DISTINGUISHED GOVERNOR WHO DIED IN THE SERVICE OF HONG KONG. HIS DEATH WAS A GREAT LOSS TO US ALL. BUT DURING HIS PERIOD OF OFFICE HE LAID A FIRM FOUNDATION FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE DEVELOPMENT. I SHALL STRIVE TO BUILD ON THAT FOUNDATION. DURING MY DIPLOMATIC SERVICE CAREER, I HAVE SEEN HONG KONG GROW AND PROSPER OVER A PERIOD
/OF SOME