XN000022-1985-10-29 — Page 4

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1985

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BUSY DAY FOR VISITING STATE MINISTER

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THE VISITING MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, MR TIMOTHY RENTON, CONTINUED HIS BUSY PROGRAMME IN HONG KONG TODAY (TUESDAY).

HE STARTED OFF BY ATTENDING A MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, DURING WHICH HE SAW THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, AND HIS TOP ADVISERS DELIBERATING ON POLICY MATTERS.

BEFORE LEAVING THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES. MR RENTON TOLD REPORTERS THAT THEY HAD A MOST INTERESTING DISCUSSION AT EXCO AND HAD TALKED ABOUT A WIDE RANGE OF SUBJECTS OF INTEREST AND CONCERN TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

THE MINISTER THEN WENT TO THE BRITISH TRADE COMMISSION WHERE HE WAS MET ON ARRIVAL BY THE DEPUTY TRADE COMMISSIONER, MR JAMES SMITH-LAITTAN.

THERE MR RENTON WAS BRIEFED BY THE SENIOR BRITISH TRADE COMMISSIONER, MR CHRISTIAN ADAMS, ON BRITAIN'S TRADE WITH HONG KONG AND CHINA.

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER THE VISIT, MR RENTON SAID HONG KONG WAS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT MARKET FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM.

+THERE ARE A GREAT MANY BRITISH TRADE MISSIONS COMING HERE IN THE MONTHS AHEAD, AND IT IS VERY USEFUL FOR ME TO BE BROUGHT FULLY UP-TO-DATE ON OUR EXPORT PROSPECTS, AND PARTICULARLY ON THE NEW DEVELOPMENT, OF COURSE, OF EXPORT THROUGH HONG KONG INTO THE SOUTHERN PROVINCES OF CHINA,+ HE SAID.

ASKED WHETHER HE WAS BRIEFED ON THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, THE MINISTER SAID, WE HAD A VERY WIDE-RANGING DISCUSSION ABOUT ALL THE EXPORT CONTRACTS THAT BRITAIN IS INTERESTED IN AT THE MOMENT.+

IN THE AFTERNOON, MR RENTON, ACCOMPANIED BY THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR BARRIE WIGGHAM, VISITED KWUN TONG DISTRICT AND ATTENDED A MEETING OF THE KWUN TONG DISTRICT BOARD, AND VISITED THE KWUN TONG ESTATE AT TSUI PING ROAD.

ADDRESSING THE DISTRICT BOARD MEETING, MR RENTON SAID HE WAS VERY HAPPY TO SEE THE DELIBERATIONS OF A DISTRICT BOARD AND THE GOVERNMENT'S WORK AT GRASS-ROOT LEVEL.

REFERRING TO THE MEETING'S FIRST AGENDA ITEM CONCERNING THE KWUN TONG OUTLINE ZONING PLAN, MR RENTON SAID: THIS IS PARTICULARLY OF INTEREST TO ME BECAUSE IN MY CONSTITUENCY IN THE SOUTHEAST OF ENGLAND, WE HAVE A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT EXCESSIVE INDUSTRIAL GROWTH.

/-SO I