XN000022-1987-01-16 — Page 31

FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 1987

SIR DAVID WAS MADE A CMG ON THE OCCASION OF HIS APPOINTMENT IN JANUARY 1987 AS GOVERNOR AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF HONG KONG.

IN 1967 HE MARRIED NATASHA (HELEN MARY) ALEXANDER, WHO WAS BORN IN OXFORD IN 1943. THEY HAVE TWO SONS, PETER AND ANDREW, BORN IN 1968 AND 1969 RESPECTIVELY. LADY WILSON OWNS AND RUNS A NURSERY SCHOOL IN LONDON. SIR DAVID'S MAIN OUTSIDE INTERESTS ARE MOUNTAINEERING AND READING. HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE 1981 BRITISH EXPEDITION TO MOUNT KONGUR IN CHINA.

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STATEMENT BY THE HON SIR S. Y. CHUNG, SENIOR MEMBER OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

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AS SENIOR MEMBER OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, I WARMLY WELCOME THE APPOINTMENT OF SIR DAVID WILSON AS GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG, WHICH WAS ANNOUNCED BY HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT TODAY.

LIKE MANY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG, I REMEMBER HIS WORK AS POLITICAL ADVISER BETWEEN 1977 AND 1981, AND ADMIRE HIS KNOWLEDGE OF CHINA AND HIS POLITICAL SENSITIVITY. DURING THE SINO-BRITISH NEGOTIATIONS ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, MY COLLEAGUES IN THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF WORKING WITH HIM CLOSELY IN OUR FREQUENT VISITS TO LONDON. WE WERE ALL FAMILJAR WITH THE IMPORTANT WORK HE WAS DOING FOR HONG KONG AS THE LEADER OF THE BRITISH DELEGATION IN THE WORKING GROUP AT THE LATER STAGES OF THE NEGOTIATIONS AND, AFTER THE SIGNING OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, AS THE LEADER OF THE BRITISH SIDE IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP. THE SWIFT AND SUCCESSFUL RESOLUTION OF THE MANY PROBLEMS FACING THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP IN THE LAST TWO YEARS WAS DUE IN NO SMALL MEASURE TO HIS SKILL AND TACT IN THE DISCUSSIONS. I DO NOT THINK WE CAN FIND ANY OTHER MAN TO BE THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG WHO HAS SUCH A THOROUGH KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE NOT ONLY OF HONG KONG AFFAIRS BUT ALSO OF THE PROCESSES OF THE SINO-BRITISH NEGOTIATIONS.

SIR DAVID WILSON HAS A LONG AND PRODUCTIVE ASSOCIATION WITH CHINA, AND HIS WORK THERE AS A DIPLOMAT HAS MADE HIM MANY FRIENDS. HIS EXPERT KNOWLEDGE OF CHINESE AFFAIRS AND HIS EXPERIENCE IN BEIJING WILL BE INVALUABLE TO HIM DURING HIS RESIDENCE AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE, PARTICULARLY IN THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD TOWARDS 1997.

I BELIEVE THAT SIR DAVID WILSON'S APPOINTMENT WILL FURTHER STRENGTHEN CONFIDENCE IN OUR FUTURE BOTH WITHIN AND OUTSIDE HONG KONG. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH HIM FOR THE GOOD OF HONG KONG AND I SHALL NO DOUBT GIVE HIM MY FULL SUPPORT.

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