XN000022-1987-01-16 — Page 38

FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 1987

TSUI MING-YUEN (WEN WEI PO):

LOCAL LEGISLATORS ARE ASKING THE UK GOVERNMENT TO

TAKE THE INITIATIVE AND SET AN EXAMPLE TO TAKE THE

LEAD IN TAKING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG.

SO, WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON THIS ISSUE AND WILL YOU LOBBY THE UK GOVERNMENT FOR AN EARLY SOLUTION TO TAKE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG?

SIR DAVID: I'M PERSONALLY VERY CONSCIOUS OF THE ENORMOUS BURDEN

WHICH HAS BEEN IMPOSED ON HONG KONG BY THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM. I HAVE ACTUALLY VERY CLOSE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF IT FROM THE TIME THAT I WAS POLITICAL ADVISER UNDER LORD MACLEHOSE WHEN THE MASSIVE FLOOD OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES STARTED ARRIVING IN HONG KONG IN 1979. IT IS AN ENORMOUS PROBLEM STILL. I KNOW ALSO FROM MY PREVIOUS JOB, THAT'S MY JOB UP UNTIL YESTERDAY, THAT IT IS MATTER WHICH CAUSES GREAT CONCERN TO BRITISH MINISTERS, AND IS MATTER WHICH THEY ARE LOOKING VERY CLOSELY AT THE MOMENT. IT'S ONE WHICH NEEDS A SOLUTION WHICH HAS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION AS WELL. I WILL FOR MY PART MAKE SURE THAT HONG KONG'S VIEWS ON IT ARE HEARD IN LONDON LOUDLY AND CLEARLY.

TAM MEI-FUNG

(TA KUNG PAO): IT WAS MENTIONED BY OUR LATE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD,

THAT THE FIRST AND FOREMOST WORK OF THE GOVERNMENT WAS CONTINUING TO FOSTER AN ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH ENTERPRISE CAN FLOURISH AND THERE WAS SUFFICIENT EMPLOYMENT. SO, WHEN YOU COME TO THE POST, WHICH AREA OF WORK WILL BE GIVEN PRIORITY?

SIR DAVID: WHAT I'VE GOT TO DO NOW IS START FOR ME A LEARNING PROCESS ABOUT MANY ASPECTS OF HONG KONG, OF COURSE, I'VE BEEN CLOSELY INVOLVED WITH HONG KONG OVER THE YEARS BUT THERE IS A GREAT DEAL ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATION AND ABOUT INTERNAL POLICIES WHICH I WANT TO BRIEF MYSELF ON. I WANT TO TALK TO PEOPLE FROM HONG KONG, OFFICIALS AND UNOFFICIALS, AND ONLY WHEN I'VE DONE THAT DO THINK IT WOULD BE RIGHT TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT I FEEL MY OWN PRIORITIES SHOULD BE, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK, THE LEARNING PROCESS, AND ONLY AFTER THAT GIVING MY VIEWS ON PRIORITIES.

JANE HUTCHEON (ATV): SIR DAVID, HOW LONG DO YOU FEEL YOU'LL

BE GOVERNOR FOR AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE LEADERSHIP WITH THE JLG?

/SIR DAVID: