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our cultural programmes depend. These had always been available in Hong Kong's colonial era, now practically at an end, because of the settled lives of the many local expatriates working in the major fields of government service, business, education and the professions, and the fact that a good number of them came to admire and value the culture in which they spent their working days. I am assuming that the provision and maintenance of leaders from our local Chinese membership will not be a problem, but this remains to be seen.
One can only live in hope. The Society is flourishing, and is well regarded. It is well-established in the hearts and minds of its members of all races, here and overseas. Notwithstanding the difficulties attending any major political transition, such as Hong Kong will face in 1997 and the following few years, like the Territory itself there is no valid reason - so far as we know - why we should not be able to continue our good work well into the next century.
NOTES
1. Charles O. Hucker, China to 1850: A Short History (Stanford, California, Stanford University Press, 1978), p. 2.
2. See the history recently published by the RAS, London.
3. They still exist, but a recent enquiry shows that the RAS library now forms part of the provincial collections. See also Harold M. Otness, "The One Bright Spot in Shanghai: A History of the Library of the North China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society”, in JHKBRAS 28 (1988), pp. 185-197.
4. See JHKBRAS 1 (1961), pp. 4-5, with historical background at pp. 1-3.
6. JHKBRAS 1 (1961) pp. 11-17, given on 7 April 1960.
Prepared by H. Anthony Rydings, our former long-serving Hon. Librarian and Vice-President, indexes to the Journals and “Occasional Publications" up to 1980 have been published by the Branch.
Our founder President had applied to the Government for yearly financial assistance, and this small subsidy remained pegged at the same very low figure ever after. Approaches made to leading European banks and firms in 1989–90 for assistance met with no response, perhaps because they had contributed to a recent appeal from the parent body in London.