GRS 350 CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 13113OZ FCO
TELNO 1019
OF 131015Z MARCH 87
CONFIDENTIAL
FOR SIR D WILSON FROM ACTING GOVERNOR
MIPT: ARRIVAL SPEECH
1. THE FOLLOWING IS THE DRAFT TEXT OF MY SPEECH:
YOUR EXCELLENCY, LADY WILSON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
H4 $40011
SIR, IT IS A GREAT HONOUR FOR ME AND A PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU BACK TO HONG KONG. THAT THIS CEREMONY WOULD BE TAKING PLACE TODAY IS NOT SOMETHING WHICH EITHER OF US EXPECTED: DESTINY WORKS IN WAYS WE ARE NOT GIVEN TO UNDERSTAND.
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BUT YOU RETURN TO THE FAR EAST, TO HONG KONG, TO FAMILIAR PLACES SEMICOLON AND YOU RETURN AS OUR GOVERNOR AND AS OUR
FRIEND.
YOUR EXCELLENCY, WITH THE PASSING OF THE YEARS SINCE YOU WERE HERE, MOST PEOPLE WOULD, I THINK, AGREE THAT HONG KONG HAS BECOME A MORE COMPLICATED PLACE BUT I BELIEVE THIS CHANGE HAS BEEN MATCHED BY A GROWTH IN OUR ABILITY TO FACE UP TO MATTERS OF
INCREASING COMPLEXITY - SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL AND WE HAVE DEVISED OUR OWN METHODS OF INVOLVING PEOPLE AT ALL LEVELS
IN THE SEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS TO OUR PROBLEMS.
HONG KONG HAS NOT ONLY GROWN PHYSICALLY TALLER IN THE SIZE OF ITS BUILDINGS, NEW DIMENSIONS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO OUR LIVES, IN THE IMPORTANCE OF HONG KONG IN THE PACIFIC REGION AND IN THE WORLD. WE HAVE BECOME USED TO MAKING AND BREAKING WORLD RECORDS, WE HAVE BECOME A MODEL IN MANY THINGS. WE HAVE MANY ACHIEVEMENTS
TO BE PROUD OF BUT GIVEN THE VERY NATURE OF HONG KONG AND THE RAPID GROWTH OF ITS POPULATION, THERE ARE MANY AREAS WHERE WE ARE
LAGGING BEHIND AND MANY THINGS WE MUST IMPROVE.
BUT WITH THESE DEVELOPMENTS COMES A PRIDE, A GREATER SENSE OF BELONGING, A SENSE OF PURPOSE TEMPERED WITH A REALISM AND, AT
TIMES, AN ANXIETY THAT THE GOING AT TIMES MAY NOT BE SMOOTH. YOU WILL FIND THE EVIDENCE FOR THESE ATTITUDES IN OUR CROWDED CITY STREETS, IN OUR CLASSROOMS, IN THE MARKETS, IN OUR HOUSING ESTATES, ON OUR RAILWAYS AND IN OUR CONCERT HALLS AND COUNTRY PARKS.
FINALLY, WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THERE WILL
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