XN000022-1983-01-29 — Page 2

SATURDAY, JANUARY 29, 1983

GOVERNOR RETURNS FROM LONDON TALKS

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SPEAKING TO THE PRESS ON HIS RETURN FROM LONDON THIS EVENING, THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, SAID:

+GOOD EVENING. I'M VERY GLAD TO BE BACK IN HONG KONG, AND

I THINK SOME OF YOU KNOW THAT I WENT TO LONDON WITH THREE PURPOSES.

+THE FIRST WAS TO CONDUCT SOME NORMAL HONG KONG GOVERNMENT BUSINESS: THE SECOND WAS TO SEE QUITE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE. MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, INDUSTRIALISTS AND PEOPLE OF THAT KIND WHO ARE INTERESTED IN HONG KONG, AND, THE THIRD WAS TO TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE.

+NOW ON THE FIRST ONE, I SAW MINISTERS IN THE FOREIGN OFFICE AND I SAW THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRADE, AND THE MINISTER FOR TRADE, AND I ALSO WENT OVER AND SAW OFFICIALS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY AND IN THE HOME OFFICE TO TALK ABOUT VARIOUS PIECES OF BUSINESS.

+AMONG THOSE PIECES OF BUSINESS WERE THE QUESTION YOU WILL NOT BE SURPRISED TO HEAR, OF THINGS LIKE STUDENT FEES, WHERE I EXPECT A DECISION BEFORE LONG AND I ALSO TOOK UP OUR CONCERN ON VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, WHERE I EXPLAINED OUR CONTINUING NEED FOR COUNTRIES TO TAKE MORE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG AND TO UNDERSTAND OUR CONCERN ABOUT DETERRING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WHO CANNOT BE RESETTLED ELSEWHERE FROM COMING HERE.

+1 TOOK UP A NUMBER OF TRADE ISSUES WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND ALSO TALKED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY.

+THEN WITH MY TALKS WITH THE MP'S AND WITH THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION, AND WITH THE INDUSTRIALISTS, MY CONCERN THERE WAS TO EXPLAIN TO THEM THE PRESENT SITUATION IN HONG KONG AND TO ENLIST THEIR CONTINUING INTERST IN IT AND ON THE PART OF THE INDUSTRIAL ISTS AND BANKING PEOPLE OF COURSE, THEIR INTEREST IN INVESTMENT AND TRADE HERE.

+ON THE FUTURE, YOU WILL KNOW THAT I SAW THE PRIME MINISTER AND ALSO HAD A LONG TALK WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND WE DON'T REVEAL THE CONTENT OF OUR DISCUSSIONS, OF COURSE, BUT YOU MAY BE ASSURED THAT THEY WERE VERY USEFUL AND CONSTRUCTIVE DISCUSSIONS.+ REPORTER: +WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT ON THE REPORT SAYING THAT YOU WILL GO TO PEKING SHORTLY AFTER THE CHINESE LUNAR NEW YEAR?+ SIR EDWARD: +WELL, THE PLAN HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT I WILL GO TO PEKING AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME AND I DON'T WANT TO PUT A DATE ON IT.+

/REPORTER: