XN000022-1988-07-01 — Page 30

FRIDAY, JULY 1, 1988

LORD GLENARTHUR GIVES PRESS CONFERENCE

*

GIVEN

TODAY

FOLLOWING IS A TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE (FRIDAY) BY THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG, LORD GLENARTHUR:

LORD GLENARTHUR: I AM DELIGHTED TO BE BACK IN HONG KONG AND TO HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO MEET YOU. THIS IS MY THIRD VISIT ALTOGETHER IN THE YEAR SINCE I TOOK ON MY PRESENT JOB AS MINISTER OF A STATE IN THE FCO. ONCE AGAIN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS ORGANISED FULL AND VARIED PROGRAMME.

DURING MY STAY I HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH THE GOVERNOR, WITH EXCO AND LEGCO, AND WITH THOSE HANDLING THE PROBLEM OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. I HAVE SEEN THAT PROBLEM FOR MYSELF AT THE HEI LING CHAU AND SHAM SHUI PO CENTRES. I HAVE ALSO MET REPRESENTATIVES OF THE BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING THOSE RUNNING THE HONG KONG

DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL. AND 1

THE

TRADE

TAI PO INDUSTRIAL ESTATE AND THE TUEN MUN NEW TOWN.

HAVE VISITED

I AM VERY GRATEFUL TO THE GOVERNOR AND HIS OFFICIALS FOR ME AND MY ARRANGING THIS PROGRAMME, AND TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN WIFE SO MUCH OF THEIR TIME.

CHINA

ON THIS

AND AS YOU KNOW, I HAVE ALSO BEEN TO THAILAND TRIP. I GAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE IN PEKING. BUT IT MAY BE OF INTEREST TO YOU IF I REPEAT SOME OF THE MAIN POINTS THAT CAME UP THEN.

HONG KONG WAS CENTRAL TO MY DISCUSSIONS WITH CHINESE MINISTERS. I WAS IMPRESSED BY THEIR DETERMINATION TO IMPLEMENT THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THEIR READINESS TO CONSULT HONG KONG PEOPLE ON THE DRAFT BASIC LAW AND TO AMEND IT IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR VIEWS.

I DISCUSSED WITH THE CHINESE MINISTERS THE PROBLEM OF

GIVEN VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE BEING

ASSISTANCE ALONG THE COAST OF CHINA ON THEIR WAY TO HONG KONG: THEY UNDERSTOOD THE PROBLEM,

THEY WOULD DO WHAT UNDERTOOK TO FIND OUT THE FACTS, AND SAID COULD TO HELP.

THEY

BOAT VIETNAMESE

DISCUSSIONS HERE TOO, AS IT WAS WHEN SIR

HONG MONTH AGO. SINCE THEN THE

TOPIC OF MY GEOFFREY HOWE WAS HERE A KONG GOVERNMENT HAS INTRODUCED A

HAD NEW POLICY. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT THAT POLICY. THE SITUATION SIMPLY COULD NOT IT WAS.

PEOPLE HAVE BEEN A. MAJOR

NO

HESITATION BE ALLOWED

1N ENDORSING TO GO ON AS

/I HAVE

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