XN000022-1985-09-04 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1985

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'NO POLICY CHANGE WITH LUCE'S TRANSFER'

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THERE WILL BE NO CHANGE IN THE POLICY OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TOWARDS HONG KONG AND ITS INTEREST IN THE TERRITORY WILL BE SUSTAINED FOLLOWING THE TRANSFER OF MR RICHARD LUCE FROM THE POST OF FOREIGN MINISTER, THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, SAID THIS (WEDNESDAY) AFTERNOON.

HE SAID ALTHOUGH HE HAD HAD NO NEWS ON THE APPOINTMENT OF A SUCCESSOR TO MR LUCE. THE ONE THING HE WAS SURE OF WAS THAT WHATEVER ARRANGEMENTS WERE MADE, IT WOULD MAKE NO DIFFERENCE IN THE ATTITUDE OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TOWARDS HONG KONG.

SIR EDWARD WAS ANSWERING QUESTIONS FROM REPORTERS AFTER

TOUR ING THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN DISTRICT.

SIR EDWARD SAID MR LUCE HAD TAKEN A VERY CLOSE INTEREST IN HONG KONG AND THAT HONG KONG HAS BEEN VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE INTEREST.

BUT IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR MINISTERS TO CHANGE THEIR POSTS AND APPOINTMENTS FROM TIME TO TIME, AND I AM SURE WE WILL BE ABLE TO BUILD UP THE SAME RELATIONSHIP WITH WHATEVER MINISTER TAKES.. OVER THE RESPONSIBILITY FROM HIM, HE SAID.

ASKED WHETHER MR LUCE'S SUCCESSOR SHOULD HAVE SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CHINA AND HONG KONG, THE GOVERNOR POINTED OUT THAT MR LUCE ACQUIRED HIS KNOWLEDGE" ABOUT HONG KONG FROM VISITING THE TERRITORY AND FROM A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF CONTACT WITH US, PARTICULARLY DURING THE PERIOD OF THE NEGOTIATIONS.

+ I AM SURE THAT WHOEVER IS RESPONSIBLE WILL BUILD UP THE SAME KNOWLEDGE.+

ASKED WHETHER MR LUCE HAD HAD TO CHANGE JOB BECAUSE HE WAS +INCOMPETENT+, SIR EDWARD SAID, +GOOD HEAVENS, NO. I THINK MR LUCE WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL IN HIS PAST JOB.

+AS I SAY, IT IS NOT AT ALL UNUSUAL FOR MINISTERS TO CHANGE AT VARIOUS TIMES DURING THE GOVERNMENT, AND SOME CHANGES HAVE BEEN EXPECTED FOR SOME TIME.+

ASKED WHETHER HE WOULD GO TO LONDON TO BRIEF THE NEW FOREIGN MINISTER, SIR EDWARD SAID HE DID NOT THINK HE WOULD GO SOON.

+THERE IS TOO MUCH TO BE DONE AROUND HERE AND I EXPECT TO BE IN HONG KONG FOR SOME TIME. BUT HAVE NO DOUBT THAT SHALL BE PAYING ONE OF MY FAIRLY REGULAR VISITS TO LONDON IN THE NOT-TOO- DISTANT FUTURE, HE SAID.