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and continuity of policies.
Both processes must work towards
this common goal. No one's interests will be served if the
baby is thrown out with the bathwater;
am sure that the challenge will be met.
and for that reason, I
We are therefore living through interesting and
-
challenging times. But Hong Kong is no stranger to that. It
has a clearer idea of its long term future than at any time
over the last fifty years. It is facing the challenge in good
shape, with a strong economy growing at a rate of 9%, and
with full employment - and a firm commitment on the part of
China and Britain to maintain its status as a great
international city. Nowhere else in the world has a document
that guarantees that it will retain the essentials of the
present economic system and way of life until 2047. There is
plenty of time for Hong Kong's buoyant economy and dynamic
society to continue to grow: it is firmly in the interests of
all who have a stake here that they should.