XN000022-1984-09-27 — Page 13

IS

DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN-SUPPLEMENT

ISSUED BY GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES BEACONSFIELD HOUSE, HONG KONG TEL: 5-233191

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1984

GOVERNOR MEETS PRESS ON WHITE PAPER

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FOLLOWING IS THE STATEMENT BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE THIS AFTERNOON.

+ I AM VERY GLAD TO BE ABLE TO WELCOME YOU TO THIS PRESS CONFERENCE, NO DOUBT YOU ARE FINDING IT A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE. I DO NOT PROPOSE TO MAKE ANY LONG INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT. YOU WILL HAVE ALL SEEN AND SOME OF YOU WILL HAVE HEARD THE STATEMENT

I MADE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL LAST NIGHT, BUT IT MAY BE USEFUL IF I WAS TO REMIND YOU OF SOME OF THE MAIN POINTS WHICH I MADE IN THAT STATEMENT. AND IN IT I EXPLAINED THAT BECAUSE THE 1997 DEADLINE EXISTED IT HAD TO BE DEALT WITH, AND IT HAD TO BE DEALT WITH NOW BECAUSE I BELIEVED IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RIGHT TO LEAVE THE HONG KONG COMMUNITY IN CONTINUING DOUBT ABOUT ITS FUTURE.

+ I EXPLAINED IN THE STATEMENT THAT IN THE VIEW OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ANY AGREEMENT HAD TO MEET TWO ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS. IT HAD TO PROVIDE IN SUFFICIENT DETAIL AND IN FAMILIAR LANGUAGE FOR THE CONTINUITY OF THOSE SYSTEMS AND CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG REGARD AS ESSENTIAL. MOREOVER, IN ORDER TO GIVE CONFIDENCE BOTH IN HONG KONG AND TO THE WORLD AT LARGE, IN THE PROVISIONS OF THE AGREEMENT THERE HAD TO BE A BINDING COMMITMENT ON THE PART OF BOTH GOVERNMENTS INVOLVED TO IMPLEMENT ALL ITS PROVISIONS.

+I EXPLAINED MY VIEW THAT THE AGREEMENT MET SQUARELY THOSE ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS. ALSO SAID THAT THE AGREEMENT WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT REMOVED AN OBSTACLE. UNCERTAINTY ABOUT 1997 HAD BECOME A DETERRENT TO CONFIDENCE AND PROGRESS. HONG KONG CAN MOVE AHEAD ONCE MORE.

NOW

/+AND FINALLY,