"BRITA IN AND HONG KONG: THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
For me, returning to Hong Kong after so many years is a
fascinating and stimulating experience. My first impressions go
back to the 1950s. I remember with affection the Hong Kong of that
time. I recall with admiration the way in which it coped with the
challenge of a massive influx of people from Mainland China; and how
it grasped the opportunities of the post war era.
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Over 34 years have elapsed since I first saw Hong Kong. Much
has changed. There are now new challenges and opportunities. I am
above all struck by the extent to which Hong Kong has prospered and
arrests matured. Hong Kong's impressive sky-line is an assertion of the extent to which Hong Kong has grown - both physically and
metaphorically.
There
Since becoming Foreign Secretary I have already devoted a
considerable amount of time to Hong Kong issues. So have other
members of my Ministerial team Francis Maude in particular. is nothing surprising about that. It reflects the priority the Government attaches to Hong Kong. It reflects the fact that Hong
Kong matters to Britain. It matters to me personally.
It matters to me because I passionately believe that what you
have created in Hong Kong is unique and worth preserving. It
Ishall
matters because I am determined te do all I can to ensure that
Britain's last great imperial chapter is an honourable one for us and a successful one for you.
Hong Kong's situation is unique. The basis of your pest-1997 future is not independence but 'one country two systems'. That is an imaginative, challenging concept. Now we have to make it work.
ne
I cannot protend that the task will be easy or straightforward. There are no convenient precedents, no ready made models, to follow.
have There are bound to be problems and setbacks. But we are determined
to make a success of this enterprise. There is much at stake.
ALKAAO