XN000022-1983-11-20 — Page 2

SUNDAY, NOVEM A 20, 1983

I HAVE LEARNED AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT, SAYS EVANS

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THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO PEKING (DESIGNATE), MR RICHARD EVANS, SAID HE HAD LEARNED AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT DURING HIS FIVE-DAY VISIT HERE.

SPEAKING TO NEWSMEN AT THE AIRPORT BEFORE HIS DEPARTURE FOR LONDON THIS (SUNDAY) EVENING, MR EVANS SAID HE HAD HAD VERY GOOD TALKS WITH THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, AND WITH MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. HE HAD ALSO FORMALLY MET OVER 200 PEOPLE, FROM MANY OCCUPATIONS AND PROFESSIONS AND OF ALL AGES.

MR EVANS SAID HE WOULD GO TO PEKING IN THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY AND WOULD, IN THE MEANTIME, CONTINUE HIS PROGRAMME OF BRIEFING AND FAMILIARISATION IN LONDON.

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF MR EVAN'S STATEMENT

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+1 JUST LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS BEFORE I LEAVE. AS I SAID HERE AT KAI TAK 5 DAYS AGO THOUGH IT SEEMS MUCH LONGER TO ME - | CAME TO HONG KONG TO SEE, TO LISTEN AND TO LEARN. I HAVE SEEN A GREAT DEAL FROM THE AIR, FROM THE SEA AND, PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, ON THE GROUND, A GOOD DEAL OF IT ON FOOT. INDEED, I SHALL TAKE BACK AS SOUVENIR OF HONG KONG TO LONDON WITH ME IN THE FORM OF A BLISTER ON MY LEFT HEEL. I HAVE VERY GOOD TALKS INDEED WITH THE GOVERNOR AND WITH MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. I HAVE MET MANY OTHER PEOPLE, IN THE SENSE OF BEING FORMALLY INTRODUCED I HAVE MET OVER 200 PEOPLE, FROM MANY OCCUPATIONS, AND PROFESSIONS AND OF ALL AGES, I HAVE LEARNED AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT. IT IS NOW FOR ME TO ASSIMILATE WHAT I HAVE LEARNED AND I SHALL WORK HARD AT IT. I EXPECT TO GO TO PEKING IN THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY. I NOW GO BACK TO LONDON TO CONTINUE MY PROGRAMME OF BRIEFING AND FAMILIARISATION, WHEN IN LONDON, I EXPECT TO MEET MANY MORE PEOPLE INCLUDING IN PARTICULAR SIR PERCY CRADOCK, WITH WHOM I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING EXTREMELY GOOD TALKS. SO ENDS MY 9TH VISIT TO HONG KONG. I LOOK FORWARD TO MANY MORE IN THE FUTURE. IN THE MENATIME, I SHOULD LIKE TO THANK, THROUGH YOU, ALL THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR TIME TO ENTERTAIN AND TO ENLIGHTEN ME, AND THAT INCLUDES YOU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE PRESS. ZAIJIAN (SEE YOU AGAIN).+

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