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On January 9, the papers noted in news and pictorial reports that Mr. Atkins started his public engagements in Hong Kong almost immediately after his arrival the previous day. Accompanied by the Governor, Sir Murray MacLehose, he met the Director of Trade, Industry and Customs, Mr. Bill Dorward, and members of the Textiles Advisory Board at a working lunch. He later paid visits to Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Polytechnic while Mrs. Atkins toured the YWCA headquarters and the YWCA Maurine Grantham Nursery Centre. Several papers noted that Mr. Atkins was tight-lipped on his Beijing trip and the question of Hong Kong's future.
Mr. Atkins spent the morning of January 9 touring outlying islands and the New Territories, the papers said in pictorial reports the next day. He had a helicopter tour over Lamma Island, Kwai Chung Container Port, Tsing Yi Island, Tsuen Wan new town, the proposed airport site at Chek Lap Kok, Tap Shek Kok Power Station and Tuen Mun before going to the border area. In the afternoon he visited Wo Che Estate and Shui Wo Court in Sha Tin.
Mr. Atkins's Press conference on the morning of January 10 prior to his departure for South Korea was the lead story in many papers the following day. Most papers played up his remark that the wishes of local residents would be taken into account in discussions on Hong Kong's future and that China recognised that this territory's prosperity must not be damaged. The Chinese leaders had started to study the line they should take on the issue, but it was believed that they had not decided on their approach, nor were they expected to reach a decision by September when Mrs. Thatcher would visit the country, the papers quoted Mr. Atkins as saying. He had also raised with the Chinese leaders the problem of legal immigrants crossing into Hong Kong, according to the papers.
In related reports, several papers explained the role of the Lord Privy Seal in the British constitution.
Referring to China's assurance to Mr. Atkins that the interests of Hong Kong and its people would be looked after, Mr. Andrew Wong of the Chinese University said this assurance, though as intangible as the assurance that"investors should put their hearts at ease", nevertheless covered a broader scope in terms of its implications, the Oriental Daily News said.
At a seminar on January 10, Mr. Wong Hok-hoi of an international affairs institute envisaged that the purpose of the Lord Privy Seal's Beijing trip was to pave the way for Mrs. Thatcher's visit, according to Kung Sheung Daily News.
The South China Morning Post carried an interview with Dr. Joseph Cheng on December 12 in which the CU lecturer reiterated his view that Mr. Atkins's comments on the 1997 issue marked an important breakthrough that Beijing now recognised the issue of the NT lease and the need to resolve it. Also welcoming Mr. Atkins's statement, the chairman of the Hong Kong Belongers' Association, Mr. Kenneth Mok, said the development was "a step in the right direction", the paper added.
On January 17, the paper recaptured the gist of Mr. Atkins's statement at the local Press conference in its "Around Hong Kong" column.
Press Comments
Mr. Humphrey Atkins's China trip and his talks with Chinese leaders on Hong Kong's future was the subject of discussion in about 30 editorial and commentary columns between January 6 and 8. Many of them were optimistic that the 1997 issue could be satisfactorily resolved. While all three English papers discussed the issue, the Star was the only one to comment on the Lord Privy Seal's visit to Hong Kong itself.
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