XN000022-1985-05-31 — Page 3

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FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1985

+SOME OF THEM OF COURSE WILL NOT CONCERN ME BECAUSE THEY WILL BE ON MATTERS OF ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CHINA AND THE UNITED KINGDOM, HE ADDED.

ASKED WHETHER HE EXPECTED TO BE TREATED LIKE THE THIRD LEG OF A THREE-LEGGED STOOL+ DURING HIS TRIP TO LONDON, SIR EDWARD SAID: +NO, I DON'T INTEND TO TAKE A STOOL WITH ME AT ALL. I INTEND TO SIT ON A CATHAY PACIFIC CHAIR WHICH IS ALWAYS EXCEEDINGLY COMFORTABLE.

+ IT HAS FOUR LEGS AND NO POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE AT ALL.+

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION ON A NEWSPAPER REPORT THAT HE HAD WRITTEN +THANK YOU LETTERS+ TO SOME APPOINTED MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE SAID: WHEN THERE IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO BE MADE ON THE FUTURE MEMBERSHIP OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, YOU CAN BE SURE I WILL MAKE IT.+

ON THE OPENING OF THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY ISLAND LINE TODAY. SIR EDWARD SAID IT WOULD HAVE A MAJOR EFFECT ON THE EASTERN DISTRICT AND WOULD ADD TO THE EFFECT ALREADY CREATED BY THE ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR.

+ I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE QUITE A GOOD IDEA TO COMBINE TODAY THE OPENING OF THE MTR AND THEN TO COME UP AND HAVE A TALK WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE EASTERN DISTRICT BOARD ABOUT HOW THEY SEE THE DEVELOPMENT, AND TO SEE WHETHER NOW THAT THEY HAVE A RAILWAY, A ROAD, AND A HOSPITAL IN PROSPECT, WOULD THEY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE THAT THEY FELT WAS OF CONSIDERABLE IMPORTANCE,+ HE SAID.

+BUT I AM GLAD TO SAY THAT THEY ALL RECOGNISE THAT A VERY GREAT DEAL HAS BEEN DONE FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, AND SO I DIDN'T GET TOO MUCH IN THE WAY OF COMPLAINTS. I HAD A VERY NICE LUNCH, HE SAID.

"MTR

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VITAL LONG-TERM ASSET '

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URBAN HONG KONG, AS IT IS TODAY WOULD BE UNTHINKABLE WITHOUT THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY, THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE SAID TODAY.

THE MTR, SIR EDWARD SAID, MIGHT HAVE ITS PROBLEMS, BUT IT WAS UNDOUBTEDLY AN IMPORTANT LONG-TERM ASSET FOR THE COMMUNITY.

IT CONTRIBUTES