XN000022-1982-03-15 — Page 2

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 1982

HONG KONG'S TIES WITH MACAU STRESSED BY SIR MURRAY

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MACAU AND HONG KONG HAD MUCH IN COMMON AND WERE ESSENTIALLY CHINESE CITIES AND DEPENDED ON CHINA IN MANY SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL WAYS, THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, SAID IN MACAU TODAY (MONDAY).

SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON HOSTED BY THE GOVERNOR OF MACAU, REAR-ADMIRAL VASCO DE ALMEIDA E COSTA, SIR MURRAY SAID THE TWO TERRITORIES ALSO DEPENDED FOR THEIR PROSPERITY ON INDUSTRIAL EXPORTS, OR PROVISION OF SERVICES OF ALL SORTS, WHICH WERE OVERSEAS-ORIENTED AND WORLD-WIDE IN THE IR SCOPE.

+ IN PLANNING OUR FUTURE ACCOUNT MUST BE TAKEN OF BOTH THESE TWO ELEMENTS ON WHICH OUR PROSPERITY AND OUR VERY EXISTENCE DEPEND, HE SAID.

SIR MURRAY ALSO SPOKE ABOUT THE CLOSE RELATIONS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND MACAU AND SAID THIS REFLECTED THE STRONG AFFECTION AND AFFILIATION HONG KONG FELT FOR MACAU.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

THE FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF SIR MURRAY'S SPEECH:

+YOUR EXCELLENCY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

+MY WIFE AND WERE DELIGHTED TO ACCEPT YOUR EXCELLENCY'S VERY KIND INVITATION TO MAKE THIS FAREWELL VISIT TO MACAU.

I AM PARTICULARLY GLAD THAT IT HAS BEEN POSSIBLE FOR SIR S Y CHUNG,

THE SENIOR MEMBER OF THE HONG KONG EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, AND

MR ROGER LOBO, THE SENIOR MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO ACCOMPANY ME. THE IR PRESENCE EMPHASISES THE GOOD RELATIONS THAT CONTINUE BETWEEN MACAU AND HONG KONG.

+RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO TERRITORIES ARE INDEED CLOSE. QUITE RIGHTLY THERE HAS BEEN REGULAR PERSONAL CONTACT BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNORS AND THESE HAVE BEEN OF PARTICULAR VALUE AND PLEASURE TO ME. THIS SITUATION REFLECTS THE STRONG AFFECTION AND AFFILIATION HONG KONG PEOPLE FEEL FOR MACAU, FORGED OVER A CENTURY AND A HALF, AND WHICH HAS DEVELOPED AS THE TWO ECONOMIES HAVE GROWN AND PROSPERED.

+MACAU, LIKE HONG KONG, HAS KNOWN RAPID ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE LAST 10 YEARS. I

I BELIEVE YOUR REVENUE HAS INCREASED 7-FOLD AND YOUR TRADE BETWEEN 8- AND 9-FOLD. I HAVE NOTED THE GOOD USE TO WHICH THIS PROSPERITY HAS BEEN PUT AND CONGRATULATE YOU ON THE FAR SIGHTED POLICIES THAT HAVE BEEN USED TO ATTACK THE BASIC ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS OF MACAU - WHICH ARE SO SIMILAR TO THOSE OF HONG KONG.

/+MACAU AND