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THAT MR MAJOR'S VISIT HAD BEEN SUCCESSFUL AND THAT HIS MEETINGS WITH SENIOR CHINESE OFFICIALS HAD PRODUCED CONCRETE RESULTS. MANY CONSIDERED THAT THE AGREEMENT AND THE TALKS HAD LAID THE GROUND WORK FOR CLOSER CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS AND WOULD REDUCE ARGUMENTS IN THE FUTURE.

HONG KONG VISIT

10. THE MEDIA (5.9) HIGHLIGHTED REMARKS BY MR MAJOR ON HIS ARRIVAL, REASSURING THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG THAT HK'S CAPITALISM WOULD

REMAIN UNCHANGED FOR 50 YEARS AFTER 1997. THE PAPERS ALSO REPORTED THAT HK BUSINESSMAN LAW HOI-SING (LUO HAIXING) WOULD BE RELEASED FROM

DETENTION BY CHINA.

11. MR MAJOR TOLD RADIO TELEVISION HONG KONG BEFORE HIS VISIT TO HONG KONG THAT HE HOPED DEMOCRATISATION IN HONG KONG WOULD MAKE STEADY

PROGRESS. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE BRITISH AND CHINESE SIDES HAD NOW ELIMINATED A NUMBER OF FACTORS THAT MIGHT UNDERMINE CONFIDENCE IN THE TERRITORY. THEREFORE, IT WAS UNNECESSARY FOR HK PEOPLE TO LEAVE.

12. MR MAJOR'S TOUR OF THE HIGH ISLAND DETENTION CENTRE FOR VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS WAS ALSO WIDELY COVERED (5.9). THE MEDIA QUOTED MR MAJOR AS DESCRIBING THE SITUATION AS A TWIN TRAGEDY A TRAGEDY

FOR HONG KONG AND A TRAGEDY FOR THE VIETNAMESE WHO CAME HERE.

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13. THE PAPERS REPORTED THAT MR MAJOR ATTENDED A DINNER HOSTED BY THE GOVERNOR ON WEDNESDAY (4.9), DURING WHICH MARTIN LEE ASKED HIM WHY HE HAD NOT DISCUSSED WITH CHINESE LEADERS HONG KONG'S DEMOCRATISATION

AND WHETHER HONG KONG'S HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY WOULD DISAPPEAR AFTER 1997. HOWEVER, MR MAJOR WAS QUOTED AS TELLING MR LEE THAT THE AIRPORT MEMORANDUM WOULD NOT UNDERMINE THE HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY IN HONG KONG.

14. THE PRESS CONFERENCE CONCLUDING MR MAJOR'S VISIT WAS PROMINENTLY REPORTED (6.9). MOST PAPERS CARRIED THE FULL TRANSCRIPT OR EXCERPTS, REPORTING HIS REMARKS THAT HE HAD BEEN ABLE TO REAFFIRM WITH CHINESE LEADERS THE PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THAT HE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WAS IN BREACH OF THE JOINT DECLARATION. HIS REMARKS ON HONG KONG'S DEMOCRATIC REFORMS, SPECULATIONS ON CHANGE OF THE GOVERNORSHIP OF HONG KONG AND THE VIETNAMESE PROBLEM WERE ALSO HIGHLIGHTED. HIS SPEECH AT A COMMUNITY LUNCH WAS ALSO WELL COVERED, HIGHLIGHTING THAT THE ESSENTIAL OBJECTIVE OF HIS TRIP WAS TO WORK FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AND THAT BRITAIN WOULD REMAIN A STRONG FRIEND OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AFTER 1997 WHEN BRITAIN NO

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