XN000022-1984-07-26 — Page 2

THURSDAY, JULY 26, 1984

SIR GEOFFREY HOWE ARRIVES *****

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, ARRIVED IN HONG KONG THIS AFTERNOON (THURSDAY).

SIR GEOFFREY WAS MET AT KAI TAK BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD THE SENFOR YOUDE THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE- UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, SIR SZE-YUEN CHUNG, AND SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR ROGER LOBO. THE DIRECTOR OF PROTOCOL, SIR JOHN CURLE WAS ALSO PRESENT.

FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF SIR GEOFFREY'S REMARKS TO WAITING JOURNALISTS:

+I AM VERY GLAD TO BE BACK IN HONG KONG JUST THREE MONTHS AFTER MY LAST VISIT. AS ON THE LAST OCCASION I HAVE GOT TWO MAIN PURPOSES. HERE IN HONG KONG, I LOOK FORWARD TO CONSULTING ONCE AGAIN WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF HONG KONG OPINION AND TALKING ABOUT THE WAY IN WHICH WE ARE CONDUCTING THE NEGOTIATIONS IN PEKING. TOMORROW I GO ON TO PEKING TO REVIEW WITH THE CHINESE LEADERS THE PROGRESS MADE SO FAR IN THE NEGOTIATIONS AND TO CARRY THEM FORWARD.

+AS YOU KNOW, SINCE APRIL, IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS HAVE TAKEN PLACE: WE HAD THE LONDON VISIT OF UMELCO AND OTHER HONG KONG GROUPS; WE HAD THE DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON THE 16TH OF MAY: WE HAVE HAD THE SETTING UP OF THE WORKING GROUP IN PEKING; WE HAVE HAD MR LUCE'S VISIT HERE TWO WEEKS AGO WE HAVE HAD THE PUBLICATION OF THE GREEN PAPER AND OF THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR TESTING THE ACCEPTABILITY OF AN AGREEMENT IN HONG KONG; AND, OF COURSE, WE HAVE HAD EIGHT MORE ROUNDS OF NEGOTIATIONS IN PEKING.

+SO, THIS VISIT, WHICH WAS ENVISAGED WHEN I WAS HERE LAST TIME AND WHICH HAS BEEN PLANNED FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, IS PART OF A PATTERN OF INCREASING ACTIVITY.

+1 CAN WELL UNDERSTAND YOUR INTENSE INTEREST IN THE OUTCOME OF THESE CRUCIAL NEGOTIATIONS. A LOT HAS ALREADY BEEN REVEALED ABOUT OUR APPROACH, NOTABLY IN THE STATEMENT THAT I MADE HERE ON THE 19TH OF APRIL AND, SINCE THEN OF COURSE, IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. I INTEND TO CONTINUE THAT PROCESS ́ AS FAR AS I REASONABLY CAN BEARING IN MIND THE NEED FOR CONFIDENTIALITY; BEARING IN MIND AS WELL THE FACT THAT WHAT MATTERS MOST IS GETTING THE RIGHT AGREEMENT AT THE END OF THE DAY.

/+MRANWHILE,

MEE