TNAG-1221-FCO40-1531-Annual-address-by-Sir-Edward-Youde--Governor-of-Hong-Kong--t-1983 — Page 16

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FM HONG KONG 05080OZ OCT 83

TO PRIORITY F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1474 OF 5 OCTOBER

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HKK 013/1 TOCOPY

INFO PRIORITY PEKING AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON,. FOLLOWING IS SUMMARY OF GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS TO LEGCO ON!. 5 OCTOBER:-

Pi

ASB

No THE GOVERNOR DELIVERED HIS SECOND ANNUAL ADDRESS TO

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THIS (WEDNESDAY) AFTERNOON. IT WAS

BROADCAST LIVE BY THE TWO RADIO STATIONS AND FOR THE FIRST

TIME BY TVB-JADE (CHINESE CHANNEL) AND ATV-ENGLISH. AFTER

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION, SIR EDWARD YOUDE IMMEDIATELY TURNED HIS

ADDRESS TO THE FUTURE OF HK. HE SAID THROUGHOUT THE PAST YEAR,

THERE HAD BEEN NO MORE IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR THE GOVERNMENT THAT

THE SEARCH FOR A SETTLEMENT OF THE FUTURE OF HK. THAT SEARCH

HAS BEEN OUR FIRST AND OVER-RIDING CONCERN, AND IT WILL REMA IN OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY UNTIL A SETTLEMENT IS FOUND,'' HE SAID.

SIR EDWARD REITERATED THAT THE AIM, AS STATED BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT REMAINED THAT OF REACHING A SOLUTION

ACCEPTABLE TO THE BRITISH PARLAMENT, TO CHINA AND TO THE PEOPLE OF HK. THE GOVERNOR SAID IT WOULD BE TO THE BENEFIT OF ALL FOR

THE TALKS TO BE CONDUCTED IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF CALM AND DELIBERATION.

AS HE HAD SAID ON MAY OCCASIONS, IT WAS NOT TO BE EXPECTED, GIVEN THE COMPLEXITY AND IMPORTANCE OF THE ISSUES, THAT THE TALKS COULD REACH QUICK RESULTS. BUT WE REMAIN DETERMINED TO DO ALL WITHIN OUR POWER TO PURSUE THEM TO A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION,'' HE ADDED.

THE GOVERNOR AGAIN CONCENTRATED ON THE QUESTION OF HK'S

FUTURE IN THE CONCLUSION OF HIS 37-PAGE SPEECH. HE SAHD: ''HONOURABLE MEMBERS, THE YEAR AHEAD WILL BE A CHALLENGING ONE FOR US ALL. A

FULLY UNDERSTAND THE ANXIETIES AND CONCERNS OF ALL OUR PEOPLE AND THEIR WISH TO KNOW, AS FAR AS IT IS WITHIN THE POWER OF MAN TO JUDGE, WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS. AM DEEPLY CONSCIOUS OF THE

IMPORTANCE WHICH THEY ATTACH TO THE ESSENTIALS OF THE FREE SOCIETY WHICH HAVE MADE HONG KONG WHAT IT IS TODAY AND THEIR DEEP DESIRE THAT THESE ESSENTIALS SHOULD BE MAINTAINED. IT IS THE IR CONCERN AND THEIR ASPIRATIONS WHICH WILL GOVERN OUR THINKING AND OUR

ACTIONS IN THE YEAR TO COME.

''LET ME CONCLUDE BY SAYING THAT IF WE WISH OTHERS TO

HAVE CONFIDENCE IN US, WE SHOULD NOT LOSE CONFIDENCE IN OURSELVES. IN SPITE OF THE FINACIAL TURBULENCE WE FACE FROM TIME TO TIME WE HAVE A STRONG UNDERLYING ECONOMY, A GIFTED AND RESILIENT POPULATION, A HIGHLY MOTIVATED PUBLIC SERVICE AND A WILL TO SUCCEED. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, YOUR GOVERNMENT WILL BE GETTING ON WITH THE JOB OF MAKING HONG KONG A BETTER PLACE IN WHICH THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG CAN LIVE, WORK AND BRING UP THEIR CHILDREN. IN CONCERT WITH THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS, IT WILL BE MY CONSTANT CONCERN TO ENSURE THAT HONG KONG CONTINUES TO ENJOY STEADY AND PROGRESSIVE GOVERNMENT: AND LET THERE BE NO DOUBT IN ANY QUARTER ABOUT OUR DETERMINATION TO DO OUR UTMOST TO SEEK A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME TO THE TALKS. PATIENCE, CALM AND RESOLUTION ARE THE QUALITIES WHICH HAVE BROUGHT HONG KONG THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES BEFORE. * HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THEY WILL DO SO AGAIN."'

| ALTHOUGH.

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