XN000022-1990-07-23 — Page 2

MONDAY, JULY 23, 1990

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FRANCIS MAUDE ARRIVES IN HONG KONG

THE

FOLLOWING IS A STATEMENT GIVEN BY MR FRANCIS MAUDE,

STATE OF FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE,

MINISTER OF

ON HIS ARRIVAL IN HONG KONG

THIS (MONDAY) AFTERNOON :

THIS ON

KONG

ISSUES

ΤΟ

THAT,

WE

BUT

I

DON'T

PEOPLE

I'M ALWAYS VERY GLAD TO COME BACK TO HONG KONG, ALTHOUGH IS ONLY A VERY FLEETING VISIT. I SHOULD BE BACK EVEN MORE BRIEFLY FRIDAY. PRESIDENT KENNEDY WAS SAID TO HAVE TWO TRAYS ON HIS DESK. ONE WAS MARKED "IMPORTANT", THE OTHER WAS MARKED "URGENT". FOR ME, THE TWO COME TOGETHER IN A TRAY WHICH IS SIMPLY MARKED "HONG KONG". AND THAT'S WHY I'M NOW ON MY WAY TO PEKING, IT'S BECAUSE THE FUTURE OF HONG

HAVE PRACTICAL TOO IS

IMPORTANT NOT TO GO, BECAUSE WE DISCUSS AND TO RESOLVE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS. AND TO DO NEED TO HAVE A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH PEKING.

HONG KONG

ARE THINK I NEED TO EXPLAIN THIS TO HONG KONG.

SEEING EXCO TOMORROW PRAGMATIC AND THEY ARE REALISTIC. I SHALL BE

ALWAYS, MORNING TO SEEK THEIR ADVICE AND I KNOW THEIR ADVICE WILL, AS

I HAVEN'T REFLECT BOTH QUALITIES. IN MAKING THIS VISIT TO PEKING, FORGOTTEN THE EVENTS OF LAST JUNE. BUT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS MADE THE RELEASE OF POSITIVE STEPS SOME

IN RECENT MONTHS AND NOTABLY, DETAINEES. I WARMLY WELCOME THOSE STEPS, BUT RECOGNISE THAT WE HOPE TO REALITY. ALWAYS SEE FURTHER PROGRESS. WE HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD NOW, 1997 IS A

RISEN TO IT PRESENTS US WITH CHALLENGES AND HONG KONG HAS CHALLENGES. CHALLENGES THAT WE CAN MEET WITH CONFIDENCE AND CONFIDENCE WHICH IS BASED ON THE JOINT DECLARATION, ON THE BASIC LAW AND ON CONCEPT OF "ONE NATION, TWO SYSTEMS". THERE'S A REAL COMMITMENT TO THE CONTINUED STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG FROM BOTH THE AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENTS. WE MUST NOW ALL WORK TOGETHER TO THAT COMMITMENT.

THE

BRITISH FULFIL

NOTE TO EDITORS:

12.20 PM MR MAUDE WILL LEAVE FOR PEKING BY FLIGHT CA 102 AT

FACILITY AT THE THERE WILL BE A PHOTOGRAPHIC TOMORROW (TUESDAY).

THEY AIRPORT FOR MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES TO COVER MR MAUDE'S DEPARTURE.

GIS OFFICERS SHOULD ASSEMBLE AT THE AIRPORT PRESS ROOM BY 11.40 AM. WILL BE ON HAND TO ASSIST.

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