SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1988
UK MINISTERS
PRESSED' ON VR PROBLEM * * * *
THE CHIEF
SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD, HAS MINISTERS ON THE QUESTION OF AN INTAKE OF VIETNAMESE HONG KONG.
PRESSED BRITISH REFUGEES FROM
(SUNDAY) ON HIS UNITED STATES, UNITED KINGDOM
SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AT KAI TAK AIRPORT TODAY RETURN FROM VISITS TO THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE SIR DAVID SAID: "CLEARLY AN INCREASED QUOTA FROM THE IS ESSENTIAL IF WE ARE GOING TO GET THE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME GOING."
ASKED WHETHER BRITAIN HAD GIVEN ANY INDICATION THAT SHE WOULD INCREASE SUBSTANTIALLY HER INTAKE OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG, SIR DAVID SAID IT WAS TOO EARLY TO SAY AT THE PRESENT STAGE.
**THEY OF COURSE HAVE THEIR OWN PROBLEMS IMMIGRATION INTO THE UNITED SYMPATHETIC, SIR DAVID SAID.
IN TERMS OF KINGDOM. BUT THEY WERE
Fr
CERTAINLY
DESCRIBING HIS VISITS USEFUL, SIR DAVID SAID HE HAD SEEN MINISTERS AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE IN LONDON, INCLUDING THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND LORD GLENARTHUR AND OFFICIALS WHO ARE CONCERNED WITH HONG KONG.
ASKED WHETHER A SUGGESTION FOR REFERENDUM IN HONG KONG AFTER 1997 HAD BEEN RAISED FOR DISCUSSION, SIR DAVID SAID: "WE DIDN'T GO INTO DETAIL, CLEARLY THEY WERE INTERESTED IN WHAT MY JUDGEMENT WAS OF THE MOOD IN HONG KONG."
SIR DAVID SAID WHILE THERE WERE DIVERSE VIEWS ON THE PACE OF POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT AT THE PRESENT MOMENT, HE HOPED THAT PEOPLE COULD WORK TOWARDS A CONSENSUS ON THE ISSUE.
"I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE BEST FOR ALL CONCERNED,
+1
HE ADDED.
HE REPRESENTATIVES.
ALSO SAW
STUDENTS,
BUSINESS GROUPS
AND
MEDIA
SIR DAVID SAID: "I MUST SAY I THINK PEOPLE HAVE A VERY GOOD UNDERSTANDING IN THE UNITED KINGDOM OF OUR MAJOR PROBLEMS AT THE MOMENT, INCLUDING THE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM.
IN THE UNITED STATES, SIR DAVID TALKED ΤΟ PEOPLE WHO WERK INTERESTED IN HONG KONG, INCLUDING BUSINESS GROUPS, THE MEDIA AND ACADEMICS.
HE SAID: "I WAS STRUCK THERE BY WHAT A POSITIVE VIEW PEOPLE WERE TAKING OF HONG KONG, ITS BUSINESS POTENTIAL AND AN OF ALSO THE PROBLEMS WE FACE THERE.
UNDERSTANDING
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