CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 271122Z FCO TELNO 2670
OF 271122Z AUGUST 91
INFO IMMEDIATE FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
HKD $26/13
26//3
2 - SEP 1991
89
036603
MDHIAN 0180
TOP COPY Q DIST ? - HKCI lead
MIPT: PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO HONG KONG: SPEECH FOR THE COMMUNITY LUNCH.
1. FOLLOWING IS OUR REVISED DRAFT SPEECH:
BEGINS.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
SINCE I LAST VISITED HONG KONG IN 196? YOU SEEM TO HAVE MADE A FEW CHANGES. IN THOSE DAYS CRICKET WAS PLAYED IN CENTRAL AND THE HILTON HOTEL SEEMED TO BE THE TALLEST BUILDING IN TOWN. THERE WAS NO CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL AND NO MTR. THE NEW TOWNS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES DID NOT EXIST AND THE HILLSIDES WERE COVERED WITH SQUATTER VILLAGES.
IN 25 YEARS HONG KONG, YOUR COMMUNITY, HAS MADE STUNNING PROGRESS. THE PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMME HAS DELIVERED NEW HOMES
FOR 3 MILLION PEOPLE: FAMILY INCOMES HAVE INCREASED FOUR TIMES IN
REAL TERMS AN AND HONG KONG IS NOW THE 11TH LARGEST TRADING ECONOMY IN THE WORLD. THIS CATALOGUE OF SUCCESS WILL BE VERY FAMILIAR TO ALL OF YOU AND PERHAPS YOU TAKE IT ALL FOR GRANTED. TO THE REST OF THE WORLD IT IS ASTOUNDING. THE PRIORITY NOW IS TO
ENSURE THAT HONG KONG CAN CONTINUE TO PERFORM ITS MIRACLES. THAT YOU CONTINUE TO ASTOUND THE REST OF US WITH YOUR SUCCESS.
I WANT TO TELL YOU FIRST ABOUT MY VISIT TO PEKING. SOME PEOPLE IN
BRITAIN HAVE QUESTIONED WHETHER IT WAS RIGHT TO GO TO PEKING SQUARE BRACKETS BEGIN SO SOON SQUARE BRACKETS END AFTER
TIANAMEN AND CRITICIZED MY DECISION, BUT I MAKE NO APOLOGY: I UNDERSTAND THAT MOST PEOPLE IN HONG KONG THOUGHT IT RIGHT FOR ME
TO GO. MY ESSENTIAL OBJECT WAS TO WORK FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE
JOINT DECLARATION AND FOR THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. IT WAS A VERY GOOD VISIT AND AS YOU KNOW, THE HIGHLIGHT OF IT WAS THE SIGNATURE, BY MR LI PENG AND MYSELF, OF THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON HONG KONG'S NEW AIRPORT.
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