3
consequence has been an easier and more natural
relationship between China and Hong Kong. Trade has
flourished where previously it was stagnant. So has
two-way investment. Travel has become much easier.
Last year Hong Kong people made more than 16 million
visits across the border into China. Our young
generation has become used to a more relaxed,
outward-looking and rapidly developing China,
The tragic events of June 4 shook confidence
There is no use pretending otherwise.
badly.
Perhaps the most poignant sign of this were the long
queues which formed in the succeeding days outside
foreign consulates of people seeking to emigrate.
How, then, to rebuild what has been badly damaged?
First and foremost we must help ourselves. We
must seek to preserve and build up what we have, both
in our social and political structures, and
economically. To speak of the last first, because it
is crucial to everything else, our economy has shown
once again its tremendous resilience. It is in
remarkably good shape. If anything it is still
over-heating, with unemployment at an astonishingly
low figure of 1.3% and inflation still nudging double
digits.