TNAG-1478-FCO40-2010-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1986 — Page 23

ん

But 15

15710

S FOLLOWING WAS ISSUED TO LOCAL PRESS TODAY:

(126

LA Virit

Се

Ce- 15/10

SIR GEOFFREY HOWE MEETS THE HK MEDIA

**** *

THE FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY, THE RT HON SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, THIS (SUNDAY) MORNING:

SIR GEOFFREY: IT IS ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO BE IN HONG KONG. AS I EXPLAINED LAST NIGHT, I AM ON MY WAY TO CHINA TO ACCOMPANY HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN ON HER STATE VISIT. BUT ALTHOUGH TIME WAS FOR THAT REASON UNAVOIDABLY SHORT, I WAS DETERMINED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT YOU. CONTINUING CONTACT AND CONSULTATION BETWEEN BRITAIN AND HONG KONG IS ESSENTIAL.

1 HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONTINUE THE USEFUL DISCUSSIONS THAT I AND OTHER BRITISH MINISTERS HAD WITH THE GOVERNOR AND MEMBERS OF EXCO IN LONDON LAST MONTH. I HAVE ALSO MET LEGCO MEMBERS AND SENIOR HONG KONG OFFICIALS.

THOSE CONTACTS HAVE BROUGHT HOME TO ME YET AGAIN THE EXTRAORDINARY DYNAMISM AND BUOYANCY OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. FOR MY PART, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REAFFIRM BRITAIN'S CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO THE FUTURE WELL-BEING OF HONG KONG AND ALL ITS PEOPLE. THAT COMMITMENT REMAINS THE PIVOT OF BRITISH POLICY TOWARDS HONG KONG.

BEFORE WE GET ON TO QUESTIONS, I'D LIKE TO MAKE FOUR POINTS:

FIRST IN MY TALKS HERE THE GENERAL CONCLUSION HAS BEEN THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION IS GOING WELL. IT IS CLEAR THAT IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP, ALL CONCERNED ARE WORKING HARD AND IN GOOD FAITH PARTICULARLY WELCOME THE AGREEMENT REACHED IN RECENT MONTHS ON HONG KONG'S PARTICIPATION IN THE GATT, ON TRAVEL DOCUMENTATION FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE, AND ON AIR SCONITES BETWEEN HONG KONG AND THIRD COUNTRIES. THE LAND

I'd

MKK

02717

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

22 OCT 1986

DUSK OFFICEN INDEX

PA

Action Taken

гг

10

XH SIS IS:02 98, 21 100

A