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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1987
PRESS CONFERENCE BY LORD GLENARTHUR, MINISTER OF STATE AT THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE WITH SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG
FOLLOWING IS THE OPENING STATEMENT BY LORD GLENARTHUR:
START BY SAYING MEMBERS OF THE FACES WHO HAVE HAVE OONE
"GOOD AFTERNOON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, CAN I
MANY HOW GLAD I AM TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET PRESS. IT 19 ALSO NICE TO SEE AMONGST YOU ONE OR TWO BECOME QUITE FAMILIAR OVER THE LAST TWO OR THREE DAYS AS I ROUND HONG KONG.
WAS
MINISTER WITH APPOINTED AS
A YOU KNOW, I
SPECIAL AFTER THE GENERAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR
WHICH IT 18 A ELECTION. THAT RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG IS ONE
ΤΟ WHICH Ι SHALL PARTICULAR PRIVILEGE FOR ME TO HAVE AND IT IS ONE DEVOTE PARTICULAR ENERGY.
NEW ONE OF THE FIRST DECISIONS Í MADE ON BEING APPOINTED TO MY
BEFORE GOING ANYWHERE ELSK JOB WAS THAT I SHOULD COME TO HONG KONG
IN FACT, I WITHIN MY AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY AND I AM VERY GLAD THAT, HAVE NOW BEEN ABLE TO DO 90. THE FACT THAT I HAVE DONE SO REFLECTS NOT IMPORTANCE WHICH THE ONLY MY OWN PRIORITIES BUT ALSO THE VERY GREAT BRITISH GOVERNMENT ATTACH TO THEIR CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO HONG AND TO ITS PEOPLE. A KEY OBJECTIVE IN THE FOREIGN POLICY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM IS TO ENSURE THAT THE JOINT DECLARATION IS IMPLEMENTED IN FULL AND TO SECURE THE CONTINUING PROSPERITY AND STABILITY OF HONG KONG.
BRIEFED EXTENSIVELY
ABOUT HONG I HAD, OF COURSE, BEEN
KONG THINGS FOR BEFORE I CAME HERE BUT THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR SEEING
KONG GOVERNMENT HAS YOURSELF. THE SPLENDID PROGRAMME WHICH THE HONG
MR ΤΟ ARRANGED FOR ME OVER THE PAST THREE DAYS HAS CERTAINLY ENABLED
I HAVE SEEN AND DO THAT. I HAVE BEEN IMMENSELY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT
KONG; AND BY ABOVE ALL BY THE SHEER PACE OF PHYSICAL CHANGE IN HONG
ENTERPRISE THE RAPIDLY IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE; BY THE VITALITY AND
APPROACH TO THE CHANGES OF HONG KONG PEOPLE; AND BY THEIR POSITIVE CONFRONTING THEM.
GENTLEMEN, MANY ISSUES HAVE AS YOU WILL IMAGINE, LADIES AND
SHOULD LIKE ΤΟ BEEN RAISED WITH ME DURING MY VARIOUS DISCUSSIONS. I
OF THEM. FIRST THERE IS
OF SAY A WORD ABOUT THREE
THE REVIEW CONSULTATION ON THE REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. THE PERIOD OF PUBLIC
THE SURVEY OFFICE WILL GREEN PAPER WILL SHORTLY COME TO AN END AND
FORECAST THE PRODUCE ITS REPORT. IT WOULD BE WRONG FOR ME TO TRY TO CONTENTS OF THAT REPORT OR TO PRE-JUDGE THE OUTCOME OF THE REVIEW AS A THE REVIEW IS WHOLE. I WOULD SIMPLY LIKE TO STATE ONCE MORE THAT GENUINE; NO DECISIONS CAN OR WILL BE TAKEN UNTIL THE REVIEW PROCESS IS COMPLETE. WHEN DECISIONS ARE TAKEN FULL WEIGHT WILL BE VIEWS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE.
GIVEN TO THE
/SECONDLY, THERE