XN000022-1991-05-09 — Page 2

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THURSDAY, MAY 9, 1991

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GOVERNOR BEGINS FIRST AUSTRALIAN VISIT WITH BUSINESS DISCUSSIONS

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THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, TODAY (THURSDAY) HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH SOME OF AUSTRALIA'S LEADING BUSINESSMEN AT THE OF AN INTENSIVE SIX-DAY OFFICIAL VISIT TO AUSTRALIA THE FIRST GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG.

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SIR DAVID AND LADY WILSON ARRIVED IN MELBOURNE THIS MORNING AFTER AN OVERNIGHT FLIGHT FROM HONG KONG. AFTER MEETING THE GOVERNOR OF VICTORIA, DR DAVIS MCCAUGHEY, SIR DAVID WENT STRAIGHT INTO A LUNCHEON MEETING IN THE BOARDROOM OF ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S TOP COMPANIES, THE AMP SOCIETY, WHICH HAS INVESTMENTS WORLDWIDE.

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THE LUNCH WAS HOSTED BY SIR JAMES BALDERSTONE, THE CHAIRMAN AMP, WHO HAD INVITED CHIEF EXECUTIVES OF A NUMBER OF COMPANIES, INCLUDING BHP, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM, COLES MYER LTD ( AUSTRALIA'S BIGGEST RETAIL TRADING GROUP) AND J.B. WERE & SON, A LEADING STOCKBROKING HOUSE.

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AFTER THE LUNCH, THE GOVERNOR DESCRIBED THE MEETING AS VERY

"THE POINT THAT CAME ACROSS MOST STRONGLY WAS THAT THEY DO SEE A GREAT INTEREST IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION IN GENERAL. AND WHEN THEY LOOK AT HONG KONG, THEY LOOK BOTH AT THE TERRITORY AND THE LONG TERM PROSPECTS IN SOUTHERN CHINA.

"I GOT THE IMPRESSION THAT PEOPLE IN THE GROUP WERE THINKING LONG TERM BEYOND 1997 AND NOT THINKING 1997 WAS THE END OF ANY PARTICULAR PERIOD."

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THE GOVERNOR SAID THERE WAS A GENERAL DISCUSSION ABOUT POLITICS IN HONG KONG AND THE FUTURE. HOWEVER, HE DID NOT GET THE FEELING THAT THERE WERE ANY OVERWHELMING CONCERNS ABOUT 1997.

HE ADDED THAT THE AIRPORT WAS DISCUSSED VERY BRIEFLY, BUT IT WAS ONE OF MANY SUBJECTS THAT CAME UP.

FOLLOWING THE LUNCH, SIR DAVID SPENT SOME TIME WITH THE PREMIER OF VICTORIA, MRS JOAN KIRNER, AT HER OFFICE IN THE VICTORIAN STATE PARLIAMENT BUILDING.

HE DESCRIBED THE VISIT OF A HONG KONG GOVERNOR TO AUSTRALIA AS LONG OVERDUE CONSIDERING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO CENTRES.

SIR DAVID SAID THAT IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS, TRADE WITH AUSTRALIA HAD GROWN BY FIVE TIMES.

TOMORROW, THE GOVERNOR WILL HOLD ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS WITH ANOTHER GROUP OF BUSINESSMEN HEADED BY MR BRIAN LOTON, THE MANAGING DIRECTOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF AUSTRALIA'S BIGGEST COMPANY, BHP LTD. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A KEYNOTE ADDRESS TO THE COMMITTEE FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF AUSTRALIA (CEDA), BEFORE MEETING WITH OF THE CHINESE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN MELBOURNE.

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