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MDHOAN (6
DEMONSTRATED IN A TANGIBLE WAY OUR STRONG AND CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG. SOME 65,000 PEOPLE HAVE APPLIED FOR THE 43,800 PLACES AVAILABLE IN THE FIRST TRANCHE OF THE SCHEME AN OVERSCRIPTION RATE OF SOME 50 PER CENT.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT EVENT IN 1990 WAS THE PROMULGATION BY CHINA OF THE BASIC LAW, WHICH GIVES LEGAL EFFECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT DECLARATIOΝ. ALTHOUGH THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW WAS A MATTER FOR CHINA, THE GOVERNMENT SOUGHT, THROUGH VARIOUS CHANNELS, TO INFLUENCE THE OUTCOME. I BELIEVE THAT THE BASIC LAW IS A SATISFACTORY DOCUMENT AND AN ACCEPTABLE REFLECTION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION.
THE BASIC LAW ESTABLISHES A FRAMEWORK FOR THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG AFTER 1997. THAT PROCESS IS ALREADY WELL UNDERWAY, AND THIS YEARS ELECTIONS WILL MARK A MAJOR STEP FORWARD. OUR GOAL IS TO SEE THE STEADY EVOLUTION OF RESPONSIBLE, CONSTRUCTIVE AND PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY, WHICH WILL SERVE HONG KONG WELL, BOTH IN THE REMAINING YEARS OF THE BRITISH ADMINISTRATION AND BEYOND. IT IS AN OBJECTIVE WHICH THE GOVERNMENT ARE CONFIDENT CAN BE ACHIEVED.
HONG KONG'S FUTURE SUCCESS ALSO DEPENDS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF ITS OWN ASSETS. ITS SUPERB NATURAL HARBOUR, ITS WELL EDUCATED AND HIGHLY MOTIVATED LABOUR FORCE, AND ITS ADVANCED INFRASTRUCTURE PLACE HONG KONG IN A UNIQUE POSITION TO SERVE BOTH AS THE ENGINE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH IN SOUTH CHINA AND AS AN IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL FINANCIAL CENTRE.
HENCE THE IMPORTANCE OF HONG KONG'S PORT AND AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY. THE ADMINISTRATION COULD HAVE SIMPLY RESTED ON ITS LAURELS AND POSTPONED OR AVOIDED DIFFICULT DECISIONS. INSTEAD IT CHOSE TO WORK AMBITIOUSLY FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE. IN 1990 MUCH EFFORT WAS PUT INTO THE PLANNING AND PREPARATION OF THIS PROJECT. IT IS ONLY NATURAL THAT CHINA SHOULD TAKE A CLOSE INTEREST IN A PROJECT OF THIS SIZE AND IMPORTANCE. WE HAVE THEREFORE SOUGHT TO KEEP THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT FULLY INFORMED. I AM HOPEFUL THAT, AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSION CHINA WILL BE WILLING NOT ONLY TO GIVE THE PROJECT ITS SUPPORT, BUT ALSO TO PARTICIPATE IN IT.
HURD
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