XN000022-1984-07-14 — Page 2

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SATURDAY, JULY 14, 1984

MINISTER OF STATE LEAVES

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THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, MR RICHARD LUCE, LEFT HONG KONG THIS (SATURDAY) EVENING AFTER A TWO-DAY VISIT.

HE WAS SEEN OFF AT THE AIRPORT BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE.

MR LUCE MET WITH STAFF SIDE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE SENIOR CIVIL SERVICE COUNCIL IN GOVERNMENT HOUSE THIS MORNING.

HE THEN WENT TO FANLING LODGE WHERE HE HELD FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.

MR LUCE GAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE AIRPORT BEFORE LEAVING FOR THE UK THIS EVENING.

MINISTER OF STATE MEETS PRESS

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FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE STATEMENT BY MR RICHARD LUCE, MINISTER OF STATE AT THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE, JUST BEFORE HE LEFT FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM TONIGHT:

+CAN I JUST REMIND YOU ALL OF THE REASON WHY I AM HERE - AS I EXPLAINED WHEN I ARRIVED - IS THAT THIS IS PART OF WHAT HAS NOW BECOME A REGULAR AND NATURAL PATTERN OF CONSULTATION BETWEEN MINISTERS IN LONDON, THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, UMELCO AND THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, AND PART OF THE PROCESS OF CONTINUING CONSULTATION THAT WE LIKE TO HAVE WITH THE PEOPLE HERE ABOUT THEIR FUTURE.

DURING MY VISIT IN THE LAST FEW DAYS 1 HAVE HAD, AS YOU KNOW, A VERY LONG AND VERY CONSTRUCTIVE MEETING WITH THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL YESTERDAY MORNING, AND I HAVE HAD FURTHER INFORMAL TALKS WITH THEM TODAY LASTING FOR SOME THREE HOURS OR SO.

1 HAVE HAD A VERY GOOD DISCUSSION WITH UMELCO YESTERDAY AND I HAVE MET A CROSS SECTION OF BUSINESSMEN, LEADERS IN COMMERCE AND LEADERS OF THE COMMUNITY OF HONG KONG.

I HAVE NOTICED IN THE LAST FEW DAYS THAT THESE HAVEN'T WHEN BEEN THE ONLY DEMONSTRATIONS OF FEELING IN HONG KONG I LOOK BACK TO A PARTICULAR DEMONSTRATION YESTERDAY MORNING.

NOW THE NEXT STAGE, OF COURSE AS YOU ARE AWARE, IT WAS ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY, IS THAT SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, THE FOREIGN SECRETARY, WILL PAY A VISIT TO PEKING AND HONG KONG AT THE END OF JULY - THE WEEK AFTER NEXT IN FACT. AS YOU KNOW, HE WILL COME TO HONG KONG BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER HIS VISIT TO PEKING, AND THE PURPOSE OF THIS WILL BE TO CARRY FORWARD THE IMPORTANT TALKS WHICH HAVE TAKEN PLACE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.

/AS I