XN000022-1983-09-28 — Page 8

IS

DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN —SUPPLEMENT

ISSUED BY GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES BEACONSFIELD HOUSE, HONG KONG TEL: 5-233191

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1983

MINISTER OF STATE MEETS PRESS *****

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE GIVEN BY MR RICHARD LUCE, MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, IN THE GIS THEATRE THIS (WEDNESDAY) AFTERNOON.

MR LUCE +FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING. MY GRATITUDE MAY BE WISHFUL THINKING AT THE END OF 45 MINUTES BUT I AM GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR COMING. I WOULD LIKE FIRST OF ALL TO SAY A FEW WORDS AND THEN I'LL BE PLEASED TO TRY. AND ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.

+ IT'S NOW EXACTLY FIVE YEARS AGO THAT I FIRST CAME TO HONG KONG; I WAS THEN SHADOW SPOKESMAN FOR THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY ON FOREIGN POLICY AND CAME AS THE GUEST OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. AND NOW FIVE YEARS LATER I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF RETURN ING AS MINISTER OF STATE, HAVING TAKEN UP MY NEW DUTIES AS THE MINISTER OF STATE RESPONSIBLE FOR HONG KONG AFFAIRS IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR, I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU, THEREFORE, OF THE PURPOSE OF MY VISIT.

+1 ARRIVED LAST SATURDAY AND I LEAVE LATE TONIGHT FOR LONDON, THE PURPOSE, FIRSTLY, IS THAT AS NEWLY RESPONSIBLE MINISTER OF STATE, I WANTED TO LEARN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ABOUT NOT ONLY THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN HONG KONG BUT ABOVE ALL THE FEELINGS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AT THIS TIME IN THE HISTORY OF HONG KONG. AND DURING THE COURSE OF WHAT IS, I THINK, A VERY FULL PROGRAMME I HAVE HEARD THE VIEWS OF A VERY BROAD CROSS- SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY OF HONG KONG.

+1 HAVE LISTENED WITH THE GREATEST OF CARE BECAUSE I REGARD IT VERY MUCH AS A PRIORITY AND A DUTY TO HEAR THE VIEWS OF THE BROADEST POSSIBLE CROSS-SECTION OF PEOPLE IN THIS TERRITORY. AND I'VE SEEN FOR MYSELF SOMETHING OF THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE EVER SINCE MY LAST VISIT SOME FIVE YEARS AGO AND I MUST SAY I AM DEEPLY IMPRESSED BY THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND IN THE CREATION BY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG OF SUCH A SUCCESSFUL AND VIBRANT SOCIETY, I'D LIKE YOU TO KNOW THAT WILL OBVIOUSLY BE REPORTING MY IMPRESSIONS. REACTIONS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO THE FOREIGN SECRETARY, SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, ON MY RETURN.

/+NOW AT