XN000022-1988-10-27 — Page 2

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1988

GOVERNOR RETURNS FROM EUROPEAN MISSION

THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, RETURNED TO HONG KONG THIS (THURSDAY) EVENING AFTER AN EXTENSIVE TOUR OF EUROPE PROMOTING TRADE AND INVESTMENT AND PUTTING ACROSS THE PROBLEMS HONG KONG FACED IN DEALING WITH THE INCREASING NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE LANDING IN THE TERRITORY.

BRIEFING THE PRESS AT THE AIRPORT ON HIS MISSION IN WESTERN THE EUROPE, SIR DAVID SAID HE HAD TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS PROBLEM WITH BRITISH MINISTERS AND WITH OFFICIALS IN BONN, BRUSSELS AND PARIS.

HE WAS PUTTING ACROSS THE POINT IN THESE COUNTRIES THAT IN EACH PLACE THERE ARE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WHO HAVE CLOSE CONNECTIONS WITH THOSE PARTICULAR COUNTRIES.

THE GOVERNOR URGED THE COUNTRIES TO LOOK PARTICULARLY AT THOSE CASES AND HE SAID THAT ALL UNDERTOOK TO DO SO.

"BUT THERE IS ALSO THE QUESTION OF A CONTINUING OVERALL RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME AND THAT IN PARTICULAR WAS A POINT PUT ACROSS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM,

"I

HE ADDED.

ASKED TO WHAT EXTENT HE WOULD BLAME THE RESETTLEMENT FOR THE DILEMMA WHICH HONG KONG NOW FOUND ITSELF, SIR DAVID WAS A LARGE PART OF OUR PROBLEM.

COUNTRIES

SAID

IT

"THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING HERE HAS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ABLE TO GO THROUGH RESETTLEMENT, WHICH IS WHAT THEY WANT TO DO, HAS GONE DOWN

OF DRAMATICALLY, SO THE REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER

PLACES RESETTLEMENT IS A VERY LARGE PART OF THE PROBLEM WE HAVE TO FACE,' HE SAID.

+

IT ON HIS FORTHCOMING TRIP TO CHINA, SIR DAVID SAID

WOULD BE ANOTHER ONE OF HIS REGULAR VISITS TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH CHINESE AND LEADERS ABOUT MATTERS WHICH ARE OF COMMON INTEREST BETWEEN PEKING HONG KONG.

HE SAID HE WOULD WANT TO BE BRIEFED ON WHAT WAS GOING ON

BASIC THE RE-DRAFTING OF THE

LAW, THE WAY IN WHICH THE CHINESE LEADERS WOULD EXPECT TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF COMMENTS MADE IN HONG KONG THE FIRST DRAFT.

ABOUT

ON

SPEAKING OF HIS EUROPEAN TOUR, SIR DAVID SAID HE FOUND A DEAL OF INTEREST IN WHAT WAS GOING ON IN HONG KONG,

GREAT

A

"BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SHOULD MAKE CONSISTENT EFFORT TO GO OUT AND ACTUALLY TELL PEOPLE WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE AND ALSO WHAT THE PROSPECTS ARE FOR THE FUTURE," HE SAID.

"THAT'S THE WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT TRADE BUILDS UP AND THAT WR HAVE CONTINUING INVESTMENT," HE ADDED.

/COMMENTING ON