XN000022-1983-10-05 — Page 3

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1983

SIR EDWARD SAID THE PAST YEAR HAD BEEN AN EVENTFUL ONE.

+ IT HAS BEEN MARKED BY THE COMMENCEMENT OF TALKS IN PEKING ON THE FUTURE OF THIS TERRITORY BY THE IMPACT OF THE WORLD RECESSION ON OUR ECONOMY, FOLLOWED BY A RAPID RECOVERY IN OUR EXPORT INDUSTRIES; BY FLUCTUATIONS IN THE EXCHANGE RATE OF OUR CURRENCY AND IN CONSEQUENCE AN INTERNATIONAL INTEREST IN OUR AFFAIRS WHICH SURPASSES ANY PREVIOUS PERIOD IN HISTORY, THE GOVERNOR SAID.

BUT IT HAD ALSO BEEN A YEAR IN WHICH THE GOVERNMENT HAD NOT BEEN DISTRACTED FROM ITS TASK OF SOUND ADMINISTRATION, FROM ITS SUSTAINED EFFORT TO IMPROVE THE SERVICES, AND FROM PROVIDING THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE COULD COMPETE EFFICIENTLY IN THE MARKET PLACES OF THE WORLD, HE SAID.

HE ALSO SAID THAT CONSULTATIONS WITH THE UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN CONTINUOUS AND INTENSIVE, AND MINISTERS IN LONDON, INCLUDING THE PRIME MINISTER, HAD EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE THEY ATTACHED TO THIS PROCESS OF CONSULTATION.

THE GOVERNOR SAID UNOFFICIALS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WERE ABLE TO MAKE THEIR VIEWS KNOWN DIRECTLY TO THE BRITISH MINISTERS IN JULY THIS YEAR.

HE SAID ALSO THAT THE MINISTER OF STATE WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG AFFAIRS, MR RICHARD LUCE, HAD HAD WIDE DISCUSSIONS HERE AND REAFFIRMED ONCE AGAIN THE FIRM COMMITMENT OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO THE SEARCH FOR A SOLUTION+.

SIR EDWARD REMINDED THE COUNCIL THAT HE WOULD BE LEAVING TONIGHT WITH UNOFFICIALS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL FOR FURTHER TALKS IN LONDON WITH THE PRIME MINISTER, AND WITH OTHER MINISTERS, AS PART OF THE CONTINUING SERIES OF DISCUSSIONS.

IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR HIM, THE GOVERNOR SAID, TO SAY MORE ON THIS ISSUE IN HIS ADDRESS, AND ADDED IT WILL BE TO THE BENEFIT OF ALL FOR THE TALKS TO BE CONDUCTED IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF CALM AND DELIBERATION.+

+AS I HAVE SAID ON MANY OCCASIONS, IT WAS NOT TO BE EXPECTED, GIVEN THE COMPLEXITY AND IMPORTANCE OF THE ISSUES, THAT THEY COULD REACH QUICK RESULTS.

+BUT WE REMAIN DETERMINED TO DO ALL WITHIN OUR POWER TO PURSUE THEM TO A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION.+

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