XN000022-1984-09-26 — Page 7

THNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1984

+BEFORE CONCLUDING I SHOULD LIKE TO PAY A TRIBUTE TO THE

MEMBERS MEMBERS OF BOTH THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS. OF BOTH COUNCILS HAVE BEEN RESOLUTE, SINCERE AND SELFLESS IN

NO COMMUNITY REFLECTING THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER SERVED BY ITS COUNCILLORS.

+LET ME SUM UP. THE AGREEMENT INITIALLED TODAY IS AN AGREEMENT WHICH TAXES ACCOUNT OF HONG KONG'S NEEDS AND THE REALITIES OF HISTORY. IT FORESEES THAT CHANGE MUST COME BUT IN PROVIDING FOR THAT CHANGE IT PROVIDES ALSO FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS IN OUR SOCIETY. IN AS FAR AS IT IS POSSIBLE FOR GOVERNMENTS TODAY TO PROVIDE FOR THE FUTURE, IT REMOVES THE UNCERTAINTY WHICH EXISTED BECAUSE OF THE 1997 DEADLINE. IT CONSTITUTES A BLUEPRINT FOR A NEW STAGE IN HONG KONG'S DEVELOPMENT. AS SUCH I COMMEND IT TO THIS COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. WITH THE IR WIDELY RECOGNISED ABILITY TO ADAPT TO CHANGE AND OPPORTUNITY I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG CAN MAKE IT WORK, AND CAN BUILD FOR THEMSELVES A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE.+

LAST REGULAR TRIP TO PEKING

*****

GOVERNOR SAYS

THE GOVERNOR SIR EDWARD YOUDE, TOLD WAITING PRESS MEMBERS ON HIS RETURN THIS AFTERNOON THAT IT WAS HIS LAST REGULAR TRIP TO PEKING.

HE ALSO THANKED THE PRESS CORPS IN BOTH PEKING AND HONG KONG FOR THE IR CHEERFULNESS AND FRIENDLINESS DURING THE PAST TWO YEARS.

+! THINK YOU HAVE ADDED A NEW DIMENSION TO LIFE, HE TOLD THEM.

THE GOVERNOR WAS MET ON ARRIVAL AT THE AIRPORT BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE SIR S.Y. CHUNG, SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL: MR ROGER LOBO, SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AND MR TAN GAN, VICE-CHIEF EDITOR OF THE XINHUA NEWS AGENCY (HONG KONG BRANCH).

FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF SIR EDWARD'S STATEMENT:

+ MUST SAY THAT YOU ARE VERY FAITHFUL, IF I MAY SAY So. AS YOU KNOW, I'VE JUST COME BACK FROM THE INITIALLING CEREMONY IN PEKING, AND THIS WAS A VERY SIGNIFICANT EVENT FOR HONG KONG, SINCE THE AGREEMENT WHICH WE INITIALLED HAS AS ITS OBJECTIVE A SOUND FUTURE FOR HONG KONG.

/+SINCE I