XN000022-1982-08-02 — Page 2

MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 1982

+VERY FULL WEEK IN LONDON, GOVERNOR SAYS

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THE FOLLOWING IS A TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE GIVEN BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE AT THE AIRPORT SHORTLY AFTER HIS ARRIVAL FROM LONDON THIS (MONDAY) MORNING:

REPORTER: GOOD MORNING, SIR EDWARD, CAN YOU TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR MEETINGS IN LONDON.

SIR EDWARD: YES. I HAD A VERY FULL WEEK IN LONDON AND, AS YOU KNOW, I HAD SEEN THE PRIME MINISTER, AND I SAW THE FOREIGN SECRETARY, AND I HAD ALSO SEEN LORD BELSTEAD AND MR REES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND A LOT OF SENIOR OFFICIALS.

REPORTER: WHAT HAVE YOU DISCUSSED WITH?

SIR EDWARD: I HAD SOME VERY FULL DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM ON THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT, ON THE QUESTION OF THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, AND ON A NUMBER OF OTHER QUESTIONS OF CURRENT INTEREST IN HONG KONG SUCH AS STUDENT FEES AND THE TEXTILE NEGOTIATIONS AND THINGS OF THAT KIND.

REPORTER: PEKING?

WHAT HAVE YOU ADVISED MRS THATCHER ON HER VISIT TO

SIR EDWARD: WELL, THE CONTENT OF THE TALKS I HAD THERE OF COURSE IS CONFIDENTIAL BUT I DID CONVEY TO LONDON A VERY FULL ACCOUNT OF THE SITUATION AS IT IS IN HONG KONG AND WHAT PEOPLE ARE THINKING HERE AND I SHOULD SAY THAT I WAS VERY ENCOURAGED INDEED BY THE INTEREST AND CONCERN WHICH LONDON IS SHOWING IN THIS QUESTION AND I THINK I CAN SAY THAT I WAS VERY IMPRESSED BY THE CAREFUL CONSIDERATION WHICH IS BEING GIVEN TO IT. THERE IS A VERY CLEAR RECOGNITION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE QUESTION THE VERY VITAL INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG IN THIS QUESTION.

REPORTER: WHAT ARE THE MAJOR TOPICS OF DISCUSSION WHEN MRS THATCHER VISITS PEKING?

SIR EDWARD: WELL SHE ANNOUNCED IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS OR AT LEAST IT WAS ANNOUNCED IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS LAST WEEK THAT SHE WOULD BE TALKING ABOUT KEY INTERNATIONAL ISSUES AND THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AND OTHER SUBJECTS OF THAT KIND.

REPORTER: WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE INTEREST OF PEOPLE HERE?

SIR EDWARD: WELL I DON'T THINK YOU NEED ME TO EXPLAIN THAT TO A GROUP OF REPORTERS, DO I?

REPORTER: SIR EDWARD, WILL YOU BE GOING TO PEKING IN SEPTEMBER?

SIR EDWARD:

WELL THE COMPOSITION OF THE PARTY HASN'T YET BE DECIDED SO PERHAPS YOU ASK ME THAT QUESTION A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE VISIT.

JRTERA

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