XN000022-1985-12-11 — Page 32

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1985

SIR EDWARD HOSTS DINNER FOR JI PENGFEI

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CHINA'S STATE COUNCILLOR AND DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE OF THE STATE COUNCIL, MR JI PENGFEI, WAS THE GUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, AT A DINNER AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE THIS (WEDNESDAY) EVENING.

IN HIS DINNER SPEECH, SIR EDWARD SAID:

+YOUR EXCELLENCY, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES.

+IT IS A VERY GREAT PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU STATE COUNCILLOR JI

YOU ARE NO STRANGER. MANY OF US HERE WITH US THIS EVENING. YOU ARE NO STRANGER. HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING YOU IN PEKING. ON BEHALF OF ALL MY COLLEAGUES IN HONG KONG I EXTEND A WARM WELCOME TO YOU AND ALL YOUR COLLEAGUES.

+WHILE YOU ARE HERE WE HOPE TO GIVE YOU A THREE DIMENSIONAL PROGRAMME AND TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING OF HONG KONG FROM THE AIR, ON THE LAND AND ON THE SEA. THIS WILL, I HOPE, GIVE YOU AN OVERALL PICTURE OF THE SCALE AND SPEED OF HONG KONG'S DEVELOPMENT.

+BUT MORE THAN THAT WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO MEET A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE DURING YOUR STAY.

→YOU HAVE COME TO HONG KONG JUST ONE YEAR AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE NEGOTIATIONS ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE, WHICH PRODUCED THE JOINT DECLARATION SIGNED BY THE PRIME MINISTERS OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND OF THE UNITED KINGDOM ON DECEMBER 19 LAST YEAR. WE ALL RECALL THE IMPORTANT PART WHICH YOU YOURSELF PLAYED IN THESE NEGOTIATIONS, AND IN SECURING A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME TO THOSE LONG AND COMPLICATED TALKS. THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE U.K. AND THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA HAVE REPEATEDLY COMMITTED THEMSELVES IN PUBLIC TO THE FULL AND FAITHFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION.

+HONG KONG IS GENERALLY REGARDED AS ONE OF THE WORLD'S

ITS ABILITY TO SUSTAIN ITS POSITION AS MOST DYNAMIC CITIES. A MAJOR MANUFACTURING, FINANCIAL AND TRADING CENTRE HAS ALWAYS DEPENDED ON OVERSEAS TRADE. THROUGH INGENUITY AND HARD WORK, HONG KONG'S FIVE MILLION PEOPLE PRODUCE A WIDE, RANGE OF GOODS AND SERVICES OF HIGH QUALITY IN ORDER TO SATISFY OUR OVERSEAS CUSTOMERS.

+HONG KONG'S TRADITIONAL MARKETS IN THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPE REMAIN VERY IMPORTANT. THE RAPID GROWTH OF HONG KONG'S DIRECT AND ENTREPOT TRADE WITH THE MAINLAND IN RECENT YEARS HAS BEEN A WELCOME AND SIGNIFICANT NEW ELEMENT IN HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC LIFE.

+A CITY

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