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FM HONG KONG
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MDLIAN 3939
VISIT BY SIR GEOFFREY HOWE TO HONG KONG: 24-30 SEPTEMBER
1. SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, PAID A PRIVATE VISIT TO HONG KONG FROM 24 TO 30 SEPTEMBER. HE WAS MY GUEST AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE.
2. MUCH OF SIR GEOFFREY'S TIME WAS SPENT ON ACTIVITIES RELATED TO HIS BUSINESS INTERESTS, IN PARTICULAR UNITED BISCUITS, THE JONES DAY LEGAL FIRM AND GLAXO. IN CONNECTION WITH THESE, HE VISITED SHEKOU AND CHONGQING. IN HONG KONG HE ALSO HAD A HELICOPTER TOUR OF THE TERRITORY, A BRIEFING ON THE NEW AIRPORT AND A BRIEFING ON POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS, INCLUDING THE RECENT ELECTIONS. THE HONG KONG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND CONSERVATIVES ABROAD HOSTED DINNERS FOR HIM.
3. SIR GEOFFREY'S ONLY PUBLIC FUNCTION WAS A BUSINESS CONFERENCE ORGANISED BY THE INSTITUTIONAL INVESTOR MAGAZINE AT WHICH HE GAVE A SPEECH. HE ALSO GAVE INTERVIEWS TO TVB, RTHK, THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, THE SUNDAY POST AND THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL.
4. THE HONG KONG SECTION OF SIR GEOFFREY'S SPEECH AT THE INSTITUTIONAL INVESTOR CONFERENCE WAS PICKED UP BY THE PRESS IN MODERATE COVERAGE. THE REPORTS HIGHLIGHTED HIS WARNING THAT HONG KONG SHOULD NOT INTERFERE WITH POLITICAL REFORM ON THE MAINLAND, AS THIS MIGHT DETRIMENTALLY AFFECT CHINESE ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE TERRITORY. SIR GEOFFREY ALSO SAID THAT CONFRONTATION BETWEEN HONG KONG, BRITAIN AND CHINA WOULD JEOPARDISE PROSPECTS FOR HONG KONG SUCCESS AFTER 1997. HE DEFENDED THE JOINT DECLARATION AS THE BEST PRACTICAL MEANS FOR ACHIEVING THAT SUCCESS, ADDING THAT THE RECENTLY CONCLUDED MOU ON THE NEW AIRPORT WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE TYPE OF CO-OPERATION THAT BROUGHT RESULTS. HE SAID THAT HE COULD NOT SEE RECENT EVENTS IN EASTERN EUROPE BEING REPEATED IN CHINA, AT LEAST IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THESE THEMES WERE REPEATED IN HIS VARIOUS INTERVIEWS.
5. SIR GEOFFREY WAS, INEVITABLY, ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE GOVERNORSHIP OF HONG KONG. HE DENIED SPECULATION THAT HE WANTED
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