MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1977
EMBARGOED NEWS ITEM.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF A LECTURE ON MODERN URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG GIVEN BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, TO THE ROYAL SOCIETY FOR ARTS IN LONDON ON MONDAY EVENING (NOVEMBER 28) AT 5.30 P.M. (LONDON TIME). THE ITEM IS EMBARGOED FOR 0001 HOUR ON TUESDAY (NOVEMBER 29) (LOCAL TIME). IT SHOULD NOT (REPEAT NOT) BE PUBLISHED OR BROADCAST BEFORE THEN.
MODERN URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG
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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLE HOSE, SAID IN LONDON THIS EVENING HONG KONG'S TRANSFORMATION FROM A DELAPIDATED PORT TO A THRIVING INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL METROPOLIS WAS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF CHALLENGE AND RESPONSE.
+ IT HAS DONE THIS WITHOUT EITHER NATURAL RESOURCES, OR AID, BUT THE ENDEAVOURS OF ITS OWN PEOPLE AND FROM THE REVENUES YIELDED BY THEIR OWN WORK, HE SAID.
SIR MURRAY WAS ADDRESSING THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF ARTS IN LONDON ON THE 'MODERN URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG IN WHICH HE TRACED THE ECONOMIC BACKGROUND AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG FROM THE LATE FORTIES TO THE PRESENT DAY, AND HOW THESE HAVE BEEN INFLUENCED BY THE FLOOD OF PEOPLE.
BEFORE GOING INTO THE DETAILS OF THE NEW TOWN PLANS BEING TAKEN TO ACHIEVE AN ACCEPTABLE STANDARD OF LIVING FOR 4.5 MILLION PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, SIR MURRAY STRESSED THAT WITHOUT MONEY THERE COULD BE NO DEVELOPMENT.
HONG KONG LIVED BY TRADE, HE SAID, AND MANUFACTURING FOR EXPORT WAS STILL THE BASIS OF ITS ECONOMY.
+HONG KONG'S DEPENDENCE ON ORDERS FOR EXPORTS TO OVERSEAS MARKETS IS WORTH STRESSING, BECAUSE IT IMPLIES ALMOST TOTAL, AND CERTAINLY EXCEPTIONAL, DEPENDENCE ON THE ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES AND POLICIES OF IMPORTING COUNTRIES - MOSTLY IN NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE -- WHICH HONG KONG NATURALLY HAS NO CONTROL WHATEVER.
+THIS SENSE OF PRECARIOUSNESS, PARTICULARLY WHEN COUPLED WITH THE ABSENCE OF EXTERNAL AID, HAS UNDOUBTEDLY AFFECTED ATTITUDES TO URBAN PLANNING, SIR MURRAY OBSERVED.
SIR MURRAY POINTED OUT THAT THE ENORMOUS PROBLEMS OF URBAN RENEWAL AND DECANTATION BOILS DOWN TO A PROBLEM OF PEOPLE -- TOO MANY PEOPLE, ARRIVING TOO QUICKLY, ON TOO LITTLE GROUND, FOR A GOVERNMENT THAT WAS ORIGINALLY TOO SMALL AND POOR TO DEAL WITH THEM.
/HE SAID