CONFIDENTIAL
6. The theme of my visit on this occasion was education, where the Hong Kong Government's recent achievements and future plans are most impressive. I visited Hong Kong University, the Ebenezer School for the Blind and the British Council. I also paid a community visit to the Central and Western District, where I baptised the new Central-Mid-Levels Escalator System. This secured good local media coverage, as did the ceremony at which I inaugurated building of the new Consulate-General. Other media coverage of the visit was positive. My contacts with businesspeople and the wider community confirmed the overall buoyant mood in Hong Kong. The Hang Seng Index continues to go from strength to strength and has just broken through the 9,000 mark. Hong Kong (cautiously, 'ber!) Government spokesmen have issued cautious words of caution.
7.
The Governor was kind enough to say that he found regular pastoral visits helpful to him as well as to the community more widely and that he hoped they would continue. If you agree, I will plan tentatively to go again in a few months' time.
Thanks
8.
As always, I am extremely grateful to the Governor and Lavender Patten for their generous hospitality; and to the Governor and his staff for the useful and interesting programme which they organised. Francis Cornish and his staff (especially Chris Osborne) and Hugh Davies were also extremely helpful.
AJ
ALASTAIR GOODLAD
3
CONFIDENTIAL