XN000022-1986-01-23 — Page 2

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 1986

FCO MINISTER AWARE OF HK'S NATIONALITY CONCERN

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THE MINISTER OF STATE AT THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE, MR TIMOTHY RENTON, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY) HE FULLY REALISED THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE NATIONALITY ISSUE WAS A MATTER OF CONCERN AND SENSITIVITY IN HONG KONG.

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AT LOWU ON HIS ARRIVAL FROM CHINA MR RENTON SAID HE HAD BEEN FOLLOWING THE DEBATES IN HONG KONG ON THIS SUBJECT.

+1 ATTENDED THE HOUSE OF COMMONS DEBATE ON THIS ISSUE LAST THURSDAY, JUST A FEW HOURS BEFORE I CAUGHT THE AEROPLANE FOR PEKING.

+AND I SHALL NOW IN HONG KONG BE LISTENING CAREFULLY TO THE VIEWS EXPRESSED TO ME WHILE I AM HERE, AND THEN WHEN I GO BACK TO LONDON NEXT WEEK AFTER MY VISIT TO THAILAND, I SHALL BE REFLECTING THOSE VIEWS AND TALKING ABOUT THEM WITH MY MINISTERIAL COLLEAGUES IN LONDON, HE SAID.

MR RENTON SAID THIS WAS HIS SECOND MINISTERIAL VISIT TO HONG KONG IN UNDER THREE MONTHS, AND THAT IT REFLECTED HIS OWN CLOSE PERSONAL INTEREST IN THE TERRITORY.

HE SAID HE HAD COME HERE TO BRIEF THE GOVERNOR ON THE HONG KONG ELEMENT OF HIS DISCUSSIONS IN PEKING, TO MEET THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS AND DINNER WITH THE UNOFFICIALS.

+AND I AM PARTICULARLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, HE ADDED.

MR RENTON SAID HE WOULD HAVE NO TIME ON THIS OCCASION TO VISIT THE NEW TOWNS AND SEE SOME OF THE EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS IN HONG KONG AS HE DID LAST OCTOBER.

+BUT I SHALL BE USING MY TIME HERE TO THE BEST ADVANTAGE, INCLUDING I HOPE SEEING ALL OF YOU AT MY PRESS CONFERENCE AT 7.45 AM TOMORROW MORNING.+

ON HIS VISIT TO CHINA

THE FIRST HE HAD EVER MADE - MR RENTON SAID HE WAS PICKING UP AN INVITATION EXTENDED TO HIS PREDECESSOR, MR RICHARD LUCE, WHICH HAD TO BE CANCELLED WHEN HE BECAME MINISTER OF ARTS.

+ IN THE COURSE OF THE LAST FIVE DAYS IN CHINA, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO VISIT SHANGHAI, CANTON AND JUST NOW SHENZHEN, HE SAID. SHENZHEN WAS OF CONSIDERABLE INTEREST TO HONG KONG BECAUSE OF THE GROWING FINANCIAL INVESTMENT AND BUSINESS LINKS TOGETHER, HE SAID.

+IN PEKING, I HAD VERY USEFUL TALKS WITH A NUMBER OF CHINESE LEADERS AND I WAS VERY SATISFIED WITH THE GENERAL TONE OF THOSE TALKS, HE ADDED.

MEETING MR RENTON AT LOWU WERE THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, THE SENIOR BRITISH TRADE COMMISSIONER, MR REG HOLLOWAY, AND THE GOVERNOR'S AIDE-DE-CAMP, SUPERINTENDENT PAUL COLLIER.

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