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20. THANKS TO THE MEMORANDUM, WE ARE NOW MOVING AHEAD WITH WORK ON BUILDING THE AIRPORT AND PORT FACILITIES WHICH ARE SO IMPORTANT IF HONG KONG IS TO CONTINUE TO BE A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CENTRE AS WELL AS A KEY COMPONENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOUTHERN CHINA. THESE PROJECTS WILL MEAN ALSO A MAJOR IMPROVEMENT TO THE LIVES OF THE RESIDENTS OF KOWLOON BY RIDDING THEM OF THE
NOISE AND OTHER HAZARDS CREATED BY KAI TAK. THE PRESENT SITE OF
KAI TAK AIRPORT AND THE WHOLE WESTERN HALF OF THE NEW TERRITORIES
WILL BE OPENED UP FOR DEVELOPMENT. THESE ARE EXCITING GOALS.
21. THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING HAS BEEN RECOGNISED WIDELY BOTH HERE AND OVERSEAS, AS EVIDENCE THAT A PARTNERSHIP IS EVOLVING BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES, BASED ON A WILLINGNESS TO SETTLE DIFFERENCES IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF HONG KONG. THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING SHOWS THAT WITH PATIENCE, PERSEVERANCE AND GOOD WILL, EVEN THE MOST DIFFICULT PROBLEMS IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA CAN BE OVERCOME.
22. THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO PEKING SYMBOLISED THE
BEGINNING OF THIS NEW PHASE OF CLOSER CO-OPERATION. I BELIEVE IT DEMONSTRATED ONCE AGAIN THE UNITED KINGDOM'S COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT IT IS PLEDGED
TO DISCHARGE ITS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TERRITORY UP TO 1997 AND
TO ENSURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A STRONG AND EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION. IT IS AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO US ALL THAT IN VISITING
PEKING AND IN COMING HERE TO HONG KONG, BOTH PRIME MINISTER AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAVE POSITIVELY UNDERLINED, IN WORD AND . DEED, BRITAIN'S DETERMINATION TO STAND BY ITS OBLIGATIONS.
23. AS 1997 APPROACHES. THE NEED FOR CLOSER CONSULTATION AND CO- OPERATION WITH CHINA WILL INCREASE. FROM NOW ON, THE SECRETARY OF STATE WILL MEET WITH THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER ON A REGULAR SIX-MONTHLY BASIS. NO DOUBT THEY WILL HAVE MANY INTERNATIONAL
ISSUES OF MUTUAL CONCERN TO DISCUSS: BUT I AM SURE THAT HONG KONG
WILL ALWAYS BE PROMINENT ON THEIR AGENDA. THESE MEETINGS WILL GIVE ADDITIONAL IMPETUS TO THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE 1997. I MYSELF LOOK FORWARD TO REGULAR MEETINGS WITH THE DIRECTOR
OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE OF THE STATE COUNCIL.
24. THESE FREQUENT, DIRECT CONTACT WITH SENIOR CHINESE LEADERS WILL, I HOPE, ENABLE US TO DEAL WITH IMPORTANT ISSUES IN A MORE SPEEDY WAY THAN HAS SOMETIMES BEEN THE CASE IN THE PAST. AND I INTEND TO ENSURE THAT THIS CLOSER AND MORE PRACTICAL RELATIONSHIP IS REFLECTED ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE GOVERNMENT, SO THAT MORE AND
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