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Hong Kong
18 DECEMBER 1974
Hong
[Sir P. Bryan.] China, raw materials-textile fibres and plastics-largely from Japan. Kong's processing industries use machinery imported from all over the world, and 80 per cent of their finished products-predominantly textiles and clothing, electrical goods and plastic pro-
Hong Kong
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1777
Hong Kong
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reactivate the death penalty. One can
had come when it would draw up programme generalise about the deterrent effects
to make an end to these deficiencies forc on Hong Kong in the past and to do within a measurable period.
As a guide we decade."
rou
set ourselves the time-span of
I pay particular tribute to the approach of Sir Murray Maclehose, the governor and his team to these social problems purely materialistic, get-rich society and
capital punishment. It differs in varyi
societies.
The people of Hong Ko seem almost unanimous in their be that it would have a deterrent effect the
Will the Minister say a word about This has e mass transit railway?
ducts are exported mainly to the United Anyone who thinks of Hong Kong as prospect of being one of the most rem
States and the EEC.
mammoth
able engineering feats in the world.
This dependence on foreign trade leads nothing else should read the governor was, therefore, naturally a disapp State of the Nation" speech ment when the contract was not wo Three-quarters of this speech is devote the British consortium. The main re to the plans for the social betterment of for the success of the Japanese to
inevitably to certain clear-cut economic policies. Due also to its origin as a trade entrepôt for China, Hong Kong believes in the virtues of free enterprise and free trade: low import duties, low taxation, unrestricted capital movements and equal treatment of locally based and foreign operations.
Firm and constant adherence to these policies has led to one of the most re- markable phenomena in history-the sevenfold growth in 25 years, on a tiny, inhospitable patch of this world, of a community from 600,000 to 4.2 million people. Let me emphasise, too, that the bulk of these 4 million people came to Hong Kong, often in the face of great hardship, of their own free will, and they remain there of their own free will.
Critics may say that these policies of low taxation and free enterprise have made the rich too rich. What they cer- tainly have done is to attract investment from all over the world, resulting in highly efficient industry which alone can give good employment and a good living to this growing population. So these policies are the very reason for the existence of Hong Kong and its community. The prosperity that they have brought has been the main cause of the growth of the community.
This mushroom growth has in turn been the cause of huge social problems and it is to these that I should like to address my speech tonight.
I quote the Governor's speech to the Legislative Council on 16th October this
year:
"In the last quarter century, life in Hong Kong has been dominated by the way in which the growth in population outstripped the capacity of any government to provide for residents and immigrants alike some of the basic infrastructure of life. But the problem was faced and very great progress was made. So much so that two years ago your Government concluded that the time
those who live their lives in the colony
By now these long-term plans for hou ing, social welfare, education, medical and health services, are well under way I shall be specially interested to see some thing of them during my visit.
Housing has been one of the bigges problems and biggest achievements Hong Kong. What has been done unique in the Far East, but the problem remain formidable. The plans of the new housing authority look like tran forming the situation within the next 10 years. I should like to know from the Minister whether these plans are affected by the current downturn in trade, which Hong Kong shares with the rest oft world.
The education services have not be able to keep up with the needs of th rocketing population. The new Whit Paper gives real hope that this will b remedied. I find the plans for technical education and polytechnic and industries training particularly encouraging and necessary, especially in a society that ca prosper only by consistently maintaining a technical lead in industry.
To the outsider, one of the less crédi able sides of the Hong Kong scene would seem to be its crime and corruption record. This problem is being tackled with a will. There has been a real break through in recruitment for the po
polic
improved. The idea of mobilising Police techniques and training have be peop in neighbourhoods to help each other the police to deter crime seems full promise and, if successful, might well copied in other countries.
Crime figures nevertheless are rising. I must warn the Minister of St that when his colleague visits Hong Ko he will meet a very strong pressure
was the absence of an escalation cl This seemed remarkable at the time quite incredible now in the face of cl Japanese inflation. Do the Japanes maintain their original tender? Hong Kong has certainly got a ba
The Minister will find a consid sense of grievance among textile 1 facturers regarding the EEC gener A situati scheme of preferences. which preferences in the British ec are given to Hong Kong's comp but not to Hong Kong is quite imp to explain or to justify. The exclu footwear has recently been remov this is of small importance. I ho the Government are making a s effort to negotiate the inclusion of 1
I appreciate that the Minister will not be able to deal with questions in 10 minutes tonight should be grateful if those he is to answer orally could be answ letter before I go to Hong Ko month. There will be concern prospect of paying a higher defence costs, as foreshadowed
The latest defence review. assumption that this is a high perous community well able to more is not valid in today's c The economy is sound. Indeed, Country could take some lesson Hong Kong has kept its econo in the face of worldwide inflati age of material and depress markets. These economic diffi incide with quite exceptiona expenditure necessary to carr Social programmes I have menti these much additional finance loans and other means will found. Now, therefore, would
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