XN000022-1991-08-30 — Page 2

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 1991

PM'S VISIT TO PEKING IS IMPORTANT TO HONG KONG: GOVERNOR

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GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY) THAT HE THE VISIT TO PEKING BY THE PRIME MINISTER, MR JOHN MAJOR,

VERY IMPORTANT IN HONG KONG TERMS.

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SPEAKING TO REPORTERS ON HIS RETURN FROM LEAVE IN THE U.K., DAVID SAID THE VISIT WAS IMPORTANT NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE SIGNING THE AIRPORT AGREEMENT, BUT ALSO IT HELPED HONG KONG ESTABLISH THE RIGHT SORT OF PRACTICAL WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA THAT THE TERRITORY VERY MUCH NEEDED OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

THE GOVERNOR SAID HE WOULD BE GOING ON MONDAY TO PEKING TO MEET WITH THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE FOREIGN SECRETARY, MR DOUGLAS HURD.

SIR DAVID SAID HE WAS VERY PLEASED THAT THE PRIME MINISTER WAS STICKING TO HIS PLAN TO GO TO PEKING AND THEN COME TO HONG KONG DESPITE ALL THE THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING IN THE REST OF THE WORLD, AND ALL HIS PREOCCUPATIONS, FOR INSTANCE, HIS VISIT TO MOSCOW.

SIR DAVID SAID HE WOULD BE SEEING THE DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAO AFFAIRS OFFICE, MR LU PING, WHEN HE VISITED PEKING.

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'I HOPE I WILL GO OVER WITH HIM THE USUAL RANGE OF THINGS WHICH ARE OF CONCERN TO US HERE IN HONG KONG.

"I EXPECT WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY. 1 HOPE THAT AT SOME STAGE, BUT NOT NECESSARILY THIS MEETING, THERE IS NO TREMENDOUS URGENCY ABOUT IT, BUT AT SOME STAGE, I WILL GET SUGGESTIONS FROM HIM ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE APPOINTED BY ME ONTO AIRPORT AUTHORITY, HE SAID.

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"I WILL COVER OTHER ASPECTS I SHOULD THINK OF THE AIRPORT, AIRPORT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE AND SO ON, BUT THE WHOLE RANGE OF MATTERS WHICH ARE OF CONCERN TO US OR CHINESE SIDE, HE ADDED.

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WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE RECENT MEETING BETWEEN THE FINANCIAL, SECRETARY, MR HAMISH MACLEOD, AND MR LU PING IN SHENZHEN, SIR DAVID SAID: "KEEPING THE CHINESE SIDE INFORMED OF MATTERS OF IMPORTANCE HERE 18 SOMETHING WHICH WE'VE GOT TO GRADUALLY BUILD UP OVER THE YEARS, SEE THAT IS A POSITIVE THING TO DO, NOT AS A NEGATIVE ONE."

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WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE BANK OF CREDIT AND COMMERCE ISSUE, SIR DAVID SAID HE HAD BEEN FOLLOWING VERY CLOSELY WHAT HAD BEEN HAPPENING WITH BCCI IN HONG KONG AND AROUND THE REST OF THE WORLD.

"AND ONE POINT WHICH I WOULD MAKE IS THAT THIS IS NOT A HONG KONG ISSUE, IT'S SOMETHING WHICH HAS BEEN A WORLDWIDE ISSUE.

"WE'VE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE BACKWASH OF THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED TO BCCI ELSEWHERE BUT I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING IT VERY CLOSELY COURSE, IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE," SIR DAVID SAID.

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