SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 1987
FOLLOWING IS A TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE GIVEN AT THE LONDON OFFICE YESTERDAY (FRIDAY) BY THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG, SIR DAVID WILSON:
CHAIRMAN (COLVYN HAYE): WELCOME TO THE GOVERNMENT OFFICE IN LONDON,
WHERE IT'S SINGULARLY APPROPRIATE TO WELCOME TODAY THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG, SIR DAVID WILSON, WHO WILL OPEN THIS CONFERENCE WITH A FEW REMARKS, AFTER WHICH HE'LL BE OPEN TO YOUR QUESTIONS, AND I WOULD ASK YOU TO IDENTIFY YOURSELF AND THEN ON RECOGNITION FROM HERE, IF YOU'D JUST STAND UP AND WAIT FOR THE MICROPHONE TO BE PUT IN YOUR HAND, BECAUSE WE ARE IN FACT TRANSCRIBING AND GOING OUT LIVE BY RADIO. SO WHEN YOU GET THE MICROPHONE WILL YOU IDENTIFY YOURSELF, YOUR ORGANISATION AND THEN MAKE YOUR QUESTION AS BRIEFLY AND AS SUCCINCTLY AS YOU CAN, BECAUSE WE HAVE A STRICT HALF HOUR FOR THIS PART OF THE CONFERENCE, AFTER WHICH WE'LL PROCEED INTO THE NEXT TWO FOR ANOTHER ORGANISATION.
SO WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ADO, MAY I NOW INTRODUCE SIR DAVID WILSON, OUR NEW GOVERNOR.
SIR DAVID WILSON: THANK YOU VERY MUCH COLVYN, THANK YOU ALL FOR
COMING. THERE SEEMS TO BE A RATHER UNEXPECTEDLY LARGE TURNOUT.
PERHAPS I COULD START BY SAYING THAT OF COURSE THIS MORNING THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE THAT HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN
IT'S HAS APPROVED MY APPOINTMENT AS GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG. FOR ME A GREAT PRIVILEGE, AND A GREAT CHALLENGE, TO BE GIVEN THIS RESPONSIBILITY. MUCH OF MY OWN WORKING LIFE HAS BEEN SPENT IN HONG KONG AND FROM THAT HAVE DEVELOPED A GREAT AFFECTION FOR THE TERRITORY AND FOR ITS PEOPLE, AS WELL AS ADMIRATION FOR THE THRIVING SOCIETY WHICH HAS BEEN BUILT UP THERE.
AT THE SAME TIME I HAVE TO SAY THAT I TAKE UP MY RESPONSIBILITIES WITH A CERTAIN SENSE OF SADNESS, 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 IN OFFICE HE BUILT A FIRM FOUNDATION FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AND IT IS ON THAT FIRM FOUNDATION THAT I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO BUILD.
/AS FOR