XN000022-1990-07-24 — Page 2

TUESDAY, JULY 24, 1990

NEW APPOINTMENT WILL NOT AFFECT PEKING VISIT: MAUDE

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MR FRANCIS MAUDE SAID HIS NEW APPOINTMENT AS FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY WILL NOT AFFECT HIS VISIT TO PEKING.

то SPEAKING

REPORTERS AFTER ATTENDING AN EXECUTIVE COUNCIL VERY MUCH MEETING THIS (TUESDAY) MORNING, MR MAUDE SAID HE HAD BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S POSITION ON THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE SO HE WAS AS WELL PLACED AS ANYONE BE TO EXPLAIN THESE POLICIES TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.

COULD

MR MAUDE POINTED OUT THAT BOTH THE PRIME MINISTER, MRS MARGARET THATCHER, AND THE SECRETARY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, MR DOUGLAS HURD, ATTACHED HIGH IMPORTANCE TO HIS VISIT TO PEKING.

VISIT ADDED.

"THEY WERE ANYWAY.

AND QUITE CLEAR THAT I SHOULD GO AHEAD BUT I THINK THAT WILL BE UNDERSTOOD

BY

MAKE PEKING,

**

THE

HE

то

FEELINGS

ON HIS NEW APPOINTMENT, MR MAUDE SAID HE WAS VERY DELIGHTED BE HONOURED

MIXED WITH SUCH A SENIOR POST BUT HE HAD VERY ABOUT IT.

"LARGELY BECAUSE MY RESPONSIBILITIES FOR BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S POLICY TOWARDS HONG KONG OVER THE LAST YEAR HAVE BEEN VERY STIMULATING FOR ME.

HAVE VERY

"IT HAS NOT BEEN AN EASY YEAR IN HONG KONG'S LIFE. THERE I'M I BELIEVE I'M BEEN SOME VERY TOUGH DECISIONS WE HAVE TO FACE. GLAD TO HAVE THE CHANCE TO BE SO CLOSELY INVOLVED IN THESE DECISIONS.

"AND I'M SAD THAT I SHALL NO LONGER BE SO CLOSELY INVOLVED WITH HONG KONG. BUT I'VE MADE LOTS OF FRIENDS HERE AND HONG KONG HAS A VERY PROMINENT PLACE IN MY AFFECTION, MR MAUDE SAID.

申申

WHEN ASKED BY

REPORTERS

ΤΟ

TO

SEE

THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, COMMENT ON MR MAUDE'S APPOINTMENT, SAID THAT HE WOULD BE SAD HIM MOVE AWAY FROM RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG.

HONG "DURING THE LAST YEAR, HE HAS WORKED VERY HARD INDEED FOR

PACKAGE AND KONG. HE HAS WORKED PARTICULARLY HARD ON THE NATIONALITY

HE REALLY THREW HIMSELF ON THE QUESTION OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. HEART AND SOUL INTO THE PROBLEMS OF HONG KONG.

"I DO KNOW, FROM WHAT HE SAID THIS MORNING, THAT WE

REAL FRIEND OF HONG TO THE TREASURY SOMEBODY WHO IS A GOVERNOR SAID.

#

WILL TAKE KONG, THE

SIR DAVID HOPED THAT WHOEVER COMING TO TAKE UP MR MAUDE'S WOULD VERY QUICKLY GET TO KNOW HONG KONG AS WELL AS MR MAUDE DID.

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