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a real change came for the first time in 1978-79 when the call for the emancipation of the mind ushered in a thorough criticism of the prevailing 'Leftism', the reforms introduced first in the countryside and now moving into the cities, and the open-door policy. Any force trying to reverse the present trends of steady reforms and economic growth would find itself opposed by the vast majority of the Chinese people. One of the reforms was the development of democracy and rule of law: China could hardly be called a totalitarian state, the atmosphere and mood there being very different from Stalinist Russia and China in the midst of Cultural Revolution or even during any period prior to it.
The Supplement also contained a report of the remarks of Mr. John Marden to the AGM of the HK General Chamber of Commerce that China played a significant part in cushioning HK from the worst of the recession and that we may look forward to real growth in our trade and industrial cooperation with China; it reported the Coliseum opening and the setting up of a headquarters by Everbright in HK. Other HK-related items were the opening of City Polytechnic in 1984 and the cocktail reception on 24 April to mark the setting up of Sui Fung Consultants, the first consultants company established jointly by Guangzhou and HK interests. (this item also appeared in the Asian Wall Street Journal on 2 May). There was also a report of the signing of an agreement by China Merchants Steam Navigation Co., the HK & Shanghai Bank, the Bank of China's Shenzhen branch and the Miramar Hotel and Investment Co. Ltd. to construct the Nanhai Hotel at Shekou to provide services for those engaged in development of the South China Sea oilfields.
Container terminal at Whampoa opened: On 27 April the SCMP reported the opening of China's second modern container terminal, at Whampoa Harbour, which was expected to become the pivotal centre for the import and export of goods in Southern China. Local trade sources believed that the new terminal would not affect HK's container business as Whampoa Harbour was not deep enough; besides, goods coming from China constituted only a small proportion of HK's total containerised cargoes. Instead, the Whampoa terminal could benefit HK because there would be more containerised goods from China ferried to the Colony for onward deep-sea transport. The head of Whampoa Harbour Container Corporation, Mr. Yu Hanbiao, said he believed the Whampoa facility and the Kwai Chung terminal would complement each other.
China's GNP: The Asian Wall Street Journal reported on 2 May that China had released for the first time its own calculations for gross national product, saying that it grew nine pc in 1982 from a year earlier to 989.4 billion yuan (US$521 billion).
Bridge: The Standard reported on 29 April that a bridge was to be built soon linking Macau with the Zhuhai special economic zone. The paper also reported on the same date that the HK and Shenzhen authorities had agreed to issue licences for tourist coaches to ply freely between the two places via Man Kam To; this was revealed by the deputy director of the Shenzhen Foreign Affairs Office, Mr. Liu Jie, shortly before he met the HK delegation led by
the Political Adviser,
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