FRIDAY, JULY 27, 1984
SIR GEOFFREY LEAVES FOR PEKING
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THE FOREIGN SECRETARY, SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, AND THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, LEFT HONG KONG THIS AFTERNOON FOR PEK ING.
AT THE AIRPORT WERE THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, THE SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, SIR S.Y. CHUNG, THE SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL', MR ROGER LOBO, AND MR LI CHU-WEN, VICE-DIRECTOR OF XIN HUA NEWS AGENCY (HK BRÁNCH).
SPEAK ING TO REPORTERS SIR GEOFFREY SAID:
+ I HAVE HAD A VERY BUSY 24 HOURS IN HONG KONG. AS ALWAYS I HAVE NOT HAD THE CHANCE TO MEET AS MANY PEOPLE AS I SHOULD LIKE, BUT I HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO REVIEW THE NEGOTIATIONS SO FAR WITH MEMBERS OF EXCO AND LEGCO AND WE CONTINUE TO SHARE THE SAME VIEWS AS TO WHAT OUR OBJECTIVES ARE IN THE NEGOTIATIONS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE.
+ I HAVE MET MEMBERS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL AND DISTRICT BOARDS, REPRESENTATIVES OF PROFESSIONAL AND OTHER GROUPS - AGAIN NOT AS MANY AS I SHOULD LIKE. I HAVE HAD A GOOD DEAL OF ADVICE, VERY CLEARLY AND FORTHRIGHTLY EXPRESSED.
+ I AM GOING NOW TO PEKING TO MEET CHINESE LEADERS AND AS I GO THERE I KNOW I SHALL GO WITH A VERY CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PRE-OCCUPATIONS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.+
EARLIER, SIR GEOFFREY HAD MET WITH MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND THEN WITH UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS.
FOLLOWING THOSE TWO MEETINGS, SIR GEOFFREY SPOKE TO WAITING JOURNALISTS:
+1 WILL JUST MAKE A VERY SHORT STATEMENT TO SAY THAT I HAVE HAD ANOTHER OF MY MANY MEETINGS WITH MEMBERS OF EXCO AND LEGCO. THE DISCUSSIONS WERE OPEN AND BUSINESSLIKE. THE MEMBERS PUT THEIR VIEWS VERY CLEARLY, VERY COGENTLY AS THEY HAVE IN THE PAST AND I HAVE LISTENED TO THEM VERY CAREFULLY. I AM GOING ON NOW TO MEET ANOTHER WIDER CROSS SECTION OF PEOPLE FROM HONG KONG INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND OTHERS. I SHALL BE COMING BACK HERE AGAIN NEXT WEEK AND SHALL BE MEETING THEM AGAIN WHEN I COME BACK NEXT WEEK AFTER I HAVE BEEN TO PEKING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. +
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