XN000022-1991-07-28 — Page 2

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SUNDAY, JULY 28, 1991

MINISTER TO REPORT BACK ON HK

CAITHNESS,

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS WITH SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG, LORD

SAID TODAY (SUNDAY) THAT HE WOULD REPORT BACK TO THE PRIME MINISTER AFTER

AFTER HIS

VISIT TO HONG KONG.

THE

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AT THE AIRPORT AFTER A WEEK-LONG VISIT,

WAS MINISTER SAID THAT THE PRIME MINISTER, MR JOHN MAJOR,

FULLY THE HONG KONG AND WAS VERY INVOLVED THROUGHOUT INFORMED OF

AIRPORT

NEGOTIATIONS.

AND

"BUT I WILL BE REPORTING BACK AFTER THIS TRIP WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE THINGS

GOVERNOR I HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING WITH THE OMELCO," HE ADDED.

AND

THAT

ON HIS VISIT TO HONG KONG, HE SAID HE HAD A CONSTRUCTIVE DISCUSSION WITH THE GOVERNOR AND WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THE WAY THINGS WERE GOING.

ASKED WHAT WAS THE MAJOR CONCERN TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WITH REGARD

HAVE A SMOOTH TO HONG KONG, THE MINISTER SAID: "WE WANT TO TRANSITION RIGHT THE WAY THROUGH TO 1997.

"WHAT I WANT IS FOR PEOPLE TO WAKE UP ON JULY 1, 1997 FOR

1997 FOR LIFE TO CONTINUE, HAVE THE AUTONOMOUS GOVERNMENT HERE, AND THAT THEY HAVE A HUGE POTENTIAL AND A HUGE FUTURE.

"WE MUST DO THAT. THAT IS GOING TO MEAN GOOD GOVERNMENT BY LEADING BRITAIN AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, TO THAT SMOOTH TRANSITION."

HE. WAS

SIR DAVID SEEN OFF AT THE AIRPORT BY THE GOVERNOR, WILSON; MR PETER HEAP, SENIOR BRITISH TRADE COMMISSIONER AND MR ANTHONY GALSWORTHY, BRITISH SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE, SINO-BRITISH JOINT LIAISON GROUP.

HK HAS STRONG TRADITION OF VOLUNTARY SERVICE: CS

*

IT

IS FORTUNATE FOR HONG KONG TO HAVE A STRONG VOLUNTARY SERVICE, SIR DAVID FORD, SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).

TRADITION OF

ADDRESSING AT THE JUNIOR CORPS PASSING-OFF PARADE AT THE ROYAL

HONORARY REGIMENT'S

COLONEL, HONG KONG REGIMENT HEADQUARTERS AS THE SIR DAVID SAID HE WAS PARTICULARLY PLEASED TO SEE THAT THIS WAS BEING CARRIED ON BY THE YOUNGER GENERATION.

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