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FRAMEWORK OF THE AGREEMENT. AT THE SAME TIME WE MUST AVOID
SUDDEN AND DRAMATIC CHANGES WHICH MIGHT HAVE A DISTURBING EFFECT
WE NEED TO BUILD, BUT TO BUILD CAREFULLY AND SECURELY.
28. HONG KONG, MORE THAN MOST PLACES, LOOKS OUTWARDS FOR ITS
LIVELIHOOD. IT FINDS READY MARKETS IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD. IT
IS NATURAL THAT TRADERS AND INVESTORS SHOULD HAVE WATCHED
CAREFULLY THE NEGOTIATIONS AND THEIR OUTCOME. THEY WANTED TO BE
ASSURED THAT THEIR INVESTMENTS WOULD BE PROTECTED. THEIR SOURCE
OF SUPPLY WOULD REMAIN RELIABLE, AND THEIR FREEDOM TO MOVE FUNDS
FREELY IN AND OUT WOULD REMAIN UNTRAMELLED.
29.
ALL THESE HAVE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF IN THE AGREEMENT. INDEED
THE GOVERNMENTS OF HONG KONG'S MAJOR TRADING PARTNERS HAVE
ALREADY WELCOMED THE AGREEMENT FOR EXAMPLE THE UNITED STATES, JAPAN, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, CANADA AND THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY
AND HAVE IN MANY CASES PLEDGED THEMSELVES TO HELP IN ITS
IMPLEMENTATION.
30.
THE AGREEMENT PRESERVES THE ESSENTIALS FOR HONG KONG'S
INTERNATIONAL AND ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIPS.
HONG KONG'S FREEDOM TO PURSUE ITS OWN ECONOMIC POLICIES IN
ACCORDANCE WITH ITS OWN NEEDS:
THE FREE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM, FREE TRADE POLICIES AND THE FRE
PORT:
HONG KONG'S SEPARATE POSITION WITH THE GATT AND OTHER
MULTILATERAL TRADE ARRANGEMENTS: AND ITS FREEDOM TO DEVELOP
ITS OWN ECONOMIC AND TRADE RELATIONS WITH ALL STATES AND
REGIONS:
A FREELY CONVERTIBLE CURRENCY:
FREEDOM TO PURSUE PRUDENT BUDGETARY POLICIES DETERMINED BY
HONG KONG IN ACCORDANCE WITH HONG KONG'S OWN NEEDS:
THE RIGHT OF COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS TO OWN AND DISPOSE O
PROPERTY: AND THE PROTECTION OF THESE RIGHTS IN LAW:
INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS ESPECIALLY FREEDOM OF CHOICE
OF OCCUPATION.
31. I CAN ASSURE HONG KONG'S PARTNERS AROUND THE WORLD THAT THE
FREE AND DYNAMIC BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT WHICH HAS ATTRACTED THEM I
SUCH LARGE NUMBERS FOR SO MANY YEARS WILL CONTINUE TO FLOURISH.
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