XN000022-1988-11-07 — Page 2

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1988

COMMON APPROACH TO TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS: GOVERNOR

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BOTH THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS HAVE A COMMON APPROACH TO THE TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR HONG KONG, THE GOVERNOR SIR DAVID WILSON, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

THE GOVERNOR WAS SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AT THE AIRPORT ON HIS RETURN FROM A SIX-DAY VISIT TO CHINA.

SIR DAVID SAID THAT ON ONE HAND THERE MUST BE PROPER RECOGNITION OF THE FACT THAT SOVEREIGNTY WAS BEING TRANSFERRED TO CHINA AT THAT POINT IN TIME AND THEN ON THE OTHER THERE MUST BE PROPER ARRANGEMENTS FOR A SMOOTH TRANSITION.

NOTING THAT THE BASIC LAW HAD TO COVER THE PROVISIONS FOR SETTING UP THE FIRST SAR GOVERNMENT, SIR DAVID SAID THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF WORK BEING DONE ON THE CHINESE SIDE ON THAT.

HE SAID THE CHINESE WERE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF DRAFTING AND RE-DRAFTING THE BASIC LAW AND THEY WOULD HAVE MEETINGS OF SPECIAL SUB-GROUPS LATER THIS MONTH.

SIR DAVID SAID HIS VISIT TO CHINA HAS BEEN A USEFUL ONE.

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"IT HAS GIVEN ME A CHANCE IN PEKING TO BE IN TOUCH WITH CHINESE LEADERS AND SENIOR OFFICIALS DEALING WITH HONG KONG HE SAID.

AFFAIRS,

ABOUT THEIR

"AND THEN THE LAST TWO DAYS IN FUJIAN WAS AN INTERESTING EXPERIENCE FOR ME. WHAT WAS VERY STRIKING WAS ΤΟ HEAR PLANS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ALSO WHAT A LARGE ROLE HONG KONG INVESTMENT AND TRADE PLAY IN THEIR OWN DEVELOPMENT.

"ONE STRIKING STATISTIC FROM THE MAYOR OF XIAMEN WAS THAT TRADE WITH HONG KONG IN THE FIRST 10 MONTHS OF THIS YEAR IS ALREADY ALMOST DOUBLE WHAT IT WAS FOR THE WHOLE OF 1987. SO THERE IS CLEARLY GREAT INTEREST IN FUJIAN IN TRADE AND ECONOMIC LINKS WITH HONG KONG.

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THE GOVERNOR WAS MET AT THE AIRPORT TODAY BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD; THE SENIOR MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, MISS LYDIA DUNN; THE SENIOR MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR ALLEN LEE; THE SENIOR CHINESE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT LIAISON GROUP, MR KE ZAISHUO; AND THE DEPUTY XINHUA NEWS AGENCY (H.K. BRANCH), MR ZHENG HUA.

DIRECTOR OF THE

RETURNING FROM CHINA WITH SIR DAVID WERE

THE

CLIFT: AND

LADY WILSON, THE PRIVATE SECRETARY,

MR RICHARD HOARE.

POLITICAL ADVISER. MR RICHARD

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