XN000022-1982-03-31 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 1982

FAREWELL DINNER FOR SIR MURRAY

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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, ATTENDED A FAREWELL DINNER GIVEN IN HIS HONOUR THIS (WEDNESDAY) EVENING BY MR WANG KUANG, FIRST DIRECTOR OF THE XINHUA NEWS AGENCY.

AT THE DINNER, HELD IN THE XINHUA NEWS AGENCY BUILDING IN HAPPY VALLEY, SIR MURRAY SPOKE ABOUT THE EXCELLENT STATE OF RELATIONS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA OVER HONG KONG.

FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH:

DIRECTOR WANG, DIRECTOR LI, FRIENDS,

+1 GREATLY APPRECIATE THIS FAREWELL DINNER. IT REFLECTS A PERSONAL AND WORKING RELATIONSHIP THAT I GREATLY VALUE AND WILL LONG REMEMBER.

+1 SHOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS. BUT THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE PAST 10 YEARS ARE CORPORATE. MANY PEOPLE AND INSTITUTIONS HAVE PLAYED A PART, AND IN PARTICULAR THE GOVERNMENTS OF CHINA AND THE UNITED KINGDOM. BUT WITHIN THIS FRAMEWORK, AND ABOVE ALL, IT HAS BEEN THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WITH THEIR INDUSTRY, SKILL AND RESOURCE AND IN THE UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT OF HONG KONG, WHICH HAVE MADE THIS CITY INTO THE VIGOROUS AND PROSPEROUS COMMUNITY IT IS TO-DAY.

+ IT IS A MATTER OF PARTICULAR SATISFACTION TO ME THAT COOPERATION AND INVESTMENT BETWEEN HONG KONG ON THE ONE HAND AND GUANGDONG AND OTHER REGIONS OF CHINA ON THE OTHER HAS DEVELOPED SO RAPIDLY AND SO SMOOTHLY AND IN BOTH DIRECTIONS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. IT IS EVIDENT FOR ALL TO SEE THAT THIS PRINCIPLE OF COOPERATION, IN THE ECONOMIC AND MANY OTHER FIELDS IS VASTLY TO THE MUTUAL BENEFIT. YOU MAY COUNT ON US TO APPLY IT IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE OF SHENZHEN TO WHOSE SUCCESS WE ATTACH GREAT IMPORTANCE.

+ALL THIS REFLECTS THE EXCELLENT STATE OF RELATIONS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA OVER HONG KONG. BUT IT IS ALSO DUE IN NO SMALL MEASURE TO THE EFFORTS OF OUR FRIENDS IN XINHUA. HERE LET ME NOTE THAT YOU, MR WANG, ARRIVED IN HONG KONG TO TAKE UP YOUR IMPORTANT POST IN SEPTEMBER 1978, AND SINCE THEN THE MOST VIGOROUS EXPANSION OF OUR COOPERATION HAS OCCURRED. I THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED.

+ IT HAS BEEN A GREAT PLEASURE FOR ME TO WORK WITH YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES SO CLOSELY OVER THE YEARS. 1 KNOW THAT MY SUCCESSOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, IS LOOKING FORWARD TO MAINTAINING AND DEVELOPING THESE PERSONAL CONTACTS.

/+HONG KONG IS