XN000022-1992-01-25 — Page 2

· 1

SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 1992

MESSAGE ABOUT HK PUT ACROSS VERY WELL: GOVERNOR

*

THE

LIVELY,

AND A

AT THE

MESSAGE THAT HONG KONG IS A VERY ACTIVE, REALLY GOOD PLACE TO INVEST, HAD BEEN PUT ACROSS VERY WELL HONG KONG BUSINESS CONFERENCE IN LONDON THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, SAID THIS (SATURDAY) EVENING.

+

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS ON HIS RETURN FROM VISITS TO GERMANY AND LONDON, SIR DAVID SAID THE MESSAGE WAS PUT ACROSS BY A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO HAD DIRECT BUSINESS EXPERIENCE.

"THEY DID IT VERY WELL, THE AUDIENCE WAS EXTREMELY

THE MESSAGE GOT ACROSS," HE SAID.

IMPRESSED,

"IT'S BEEN A GOOD WEEK, BOTH IN GERMANY AND IN UNITED KINGDOM, PUTTING ACROSS THE MESSAGE ABOUT HONG KONG; ECONOMIC VITALITY HERE AND IN PARTICULAR TRYING TO GET ACROSS THE MESSAGE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SOUTHERN CHINA AND THE ROLE THAT HONG KONG PLAYS IN THAT.

WITH THE

OBJECTIVE OF SHOWING TO BUSINESSMEN IN EUROPE, IN GERMANY AND IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, THAT THIS REMAINS A VERY GOOD PLACE TO DO TRADE WITH; VERY GOOD PLACE FOR INVESTMENT AND WITH A SORT OF VITALITY WHICH IS GOING TO GO ON LONG-TERM, AND IT'S A PLACE TO WHICH PEOPLE SHOULD PAY ATTENTION IN THE LONG TERM AND NOT JUST IN THE SHORT TERM, SIR DAVID SAID.

++

THE GOVERNOR SAID THE HONG KONG GALA ATTENDED BY PEOPLE IN LONDON WAS A TREMENDOUS SHOW PUT ON BY YOUNG HONG KONG, WHICH WENT DOWN VERY WELL.

ABOUT 1,000 PEOPLE FROM

WHEN ASKED ABOUT HIS SUCCESSOR, SIR DAVID SAID: "THERE IS A DEGREE

UNCERTAINTY, A DEGREE OF SPECULATION ALWAYS WHEN IT'S A QUESTION OF WHO MAY BE APPOINTED GOVERNOR, BUT THE IMPORTANT POINT IS THAT THE GOVERNMENT GOES ON HERE AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, IT GOES ON WITH MYSELF VERY ACTIVELY INVOLVED UNTIL THE MOMENT I GO.

**

THE

"AND AS FAR AS THE GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED, OF COURSE GOVERNMENT GOES ON IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER THERE ARE CHANGES OF THE GOVERNOR, HE SAID.

17

"THE GOVERNOR, IN MY VIEW HAS TO COME FROM BRITAIN AND BE A BRITISH PERSON. THERE IS A U.K. RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG RIGHT UP TO 1997 I THINK IT FOLLOWS FROM THAT, THAT ONE SHOULD EXPECT THE GOVERNOR TO BE A BRITISH PERSON APPOINTED FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM, HE ADDED.

►

WHEN ASKED ABOUT REPORTS THAT CHINA INTENDED TO HIRE LOCAL PEOPLE, INCLUDING FORMER SENIOR CIVIL SERVANTS AS ADVISERS, SIR DAVID SAID: "OF COURSE CHINA LOOKS TO HAVE ADVICE FROM PEOPLE HERE; IT ALWAYS HAS. I THINK THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH GETTING ADVICE FROM PEOPLE IN HONG KONG."

/"MY OWN