XN000022-1993-05-13 — Page 15

THURSDAY, MAY 13, 1993

GOVERNOR:

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I DON'T THINK THAT I WOULD DISAGREE WITH THE

IN HIS ANALYSIS OF THE POLITICAL REFORM ISSUE. THAT IS,

PRESIDENT THAT A

SUCCESSFUL RESOLUTION OF OUR DISAGREEMENT WITH CHINA IS A MATTER FOR BRITAIN AND CHINA IN WHICH OTHERS DON'T HAVE A ROLE. BUT THERE WERE OTHER MATTERS THAT I RAISED WITH THE PRESIDENT AND HIS ADMINISTRATION. ONE OF THEM I'VE REFERRED TO ALREADY IN MY REMARKS TO THE HONOURABLE MEMBER, THAT IS, THE NORMALISATION OF RELATIONS BETWEEN VIETNAM AND THE UNITED STATES. THAT IS CLEARLY AN ISSUE WHERE, GIVEN ACTION BY THE UNITED STATES, IS IN THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG. I THINK OVERALL THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF OUR RELATIONSHIP TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE WITH THE UNITED STATES IS OUR ECONOMIC AND TRADING RELATIONSHIP THOUGH THAT OF COURSE HAS HUMAN AND SOCIAL CONNOTATIONS.

SAID BEFORE I LEFT HONG KONG, AND I SAID WHEN I WAS IN THE UNITED STATES, THAT IN MY JUDGMENT THE MOST IMPORTANT GUARANTEE OF HONG KONG'S FUTURE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY AND WAY OF LIFE WAS A GOOD AND CONSTRUCTIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES. AND THAT IS A MORE BROAD POINT THAN THE HONOURABLE LADY MENTIONED BUT IT'S ONE I FEEL EXTREMELY STRONGLY.

I

PRESIDENT:

IN ACCORDANCE WITH STANDING ORDERS I NOW ADJOURN

THIS SITTING UNTIL WEDNESDAY, 19TH MAY, 1993.

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BUSY AFTERNOON FOR LADY THATCHER

FORMER BRITISH PRIME MINISTER LADY THATCHER STARTED HER FIRST DAY'S OFFICIAL VISIT PROGRAMME IN HONG KONG THIS (THURSDAY) AFTERNOON BY VISITING THE ST JAMES' SETTLEMENT IN WAN CHAI.

ACCOMPANIED BY THE VICE-CHAIRMAN OF ST JAMES' SETTLEMENT, MR IAN MACCALLUM, AND HIS DIRECTOR, MR MICHAEL LAI, LADY THATCHER TOURED THE SHELTERED WORKSHOP FOR THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED ON THE SIXTH FLOOR OF THE BUILDING WHERE SHE SAW 140 MENTALLY HANDICAPPED WORKERS ACTIVELY ENGAGE IN SIMPLE PACKING AND LABELLING WORK.

SHE ALSO VISITED THE DAY CARE CENTRE FOR THE ELDERLY ON THE SECOND FLOOR TO SEE HOW ELDERLY PEOPLE IN THE CENTRE SPEND THEIR PASTIME IN A LEISURELY MANNER.

LADY THATCHER THEN PROCEEDED TO VISIT THE NEW AIRPORT PROJECTS CO-ORDINATION OFFICE (NAPCO) AT SHUI ON CENTRE WHERE SHE WAS BRIEFED ON THE AIRPORT CORE PROGRAMME BY THE NAPCO DIRECTOR, MR BILLY LAM. AND THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE PROVISIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY (PAA), DR HENRY TOWNSEND.

THE BRIEFING WAS FOLLOWED BY A VISIT TO THE NEW AIRPORT SITE AT CHEK LAP KOK, ACCOMPANIED BY PAA SENIOR STAFF.

BY

LADY THATCHER CONCLUDED THE AFTERNOON'S OFFICIAL PROGRAMME VISITING THE NEW ROYAL NAVY BASE ON STONECUTTER'S ISLAND AND MEETING PERSONNEL OF THE ROYAL NAVY, INCLUDING LOCALLY EMPLOYED ONES, THERE.

EARLIER TODAY, SHE HAD A MEETING WITH MR ZHOU NAN, DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG BRANCH OF THE NEW CHINA NEWS AGENCY.