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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1980
ROYAL COLLEGE OF DEFENCE STUDIES GROUP
VISIT SHA TIN ****
A 12-MEMBER GROUP FROM THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF DEFENCE STUDIES IN BRITAIN, WHICH IS ON A ONE-WEEK VISIT TO HONG KONG AS PART OF A FAR EAST TOUR, TODAY VISITED AN ANCESTRAL HALL IN TAI WAI AND THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY IN SHA TIN.
THE PARTY, WHICH CONSISTS OF SENIOR MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT OFFICERS FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM, AUSTRALIA, BRAZIL, NORWAY, THE UNITED STATES AND INDIA, ARRIVED IN HONG KONG LAST FRIDAY.
THEY BEGAN TODAY'S TOUR WITH A VISIT TO NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION HEADQUARTERS FOR A BRIEFING BY DEPUTY NEW TERRITORIES SECRETARY, MR AUGUSTINE CHUI KAM, FOLLOWING WHICH THEY TRAVELLED TO SHA TIN NEW TOWN WHERE THE DISTRICT OFFICER DR PATRICK HASE, BRIEFED THEM ON PLANS TO DEVELOP THE DISTRICT INTO A SELF-CONTAINED COMMUNITY OF 750 000 PEOPLE BY THE END OF THE DECADE.
THE PARTY WAS THEN TAKEN TO TAI WAI VILLAGE AND THE WAI KIN FUK ANCESTRAL HALL WHERE THEY WERE GREETED BY THE SHA TIN RURAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN, MR WAI HON-LEUNG.
MR WAI, WHO IS ALSO A SHA TIN DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER, TOLD THE VISITING GROUP THAT THE ANCESTRAL HALL WAS BUILT IN THE MING DYNASTY MORE THAN 300 YEARS AGO AND WAS RENOVATED EARLIER THIS YEAR.
HE SPOKE OF COMMUNITY BUILDING WORK IN THE NEW TOWN AND ALSO SHOWED THE GROUP SOME 500-YEAR-OLD POTTERY. THE PARTY LEADER, AIR VICE-MARSHAL MIKE ARMITAGE, TOLD MR WAI: +THIS WILL BE A HIGHLIGHT OF OUR VISIT TO HONG KONG,+
THE VISITORS WERE THEN DRIVEN THROUGH SHA TIN'S HOUSING ESTATES AND INDUSTRIAL AREA, DURING WHICH DR HASE EXPLAINED TO THEM THE LARGE NUMBER OF PROJECTS CONNECTED WITH THE NEW TOWN PROGRAMME.
AFTER A SHORT TOUR OF THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY THEY WENT TO ISLAND HOUSE, HOME OF THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, FOR A BRIEFING ON TAI PO NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT BY THE DISTRICT OFFICER, MR NICHOLAS NG, THE PROJECT MANAGER, MR JEFF THOMAS, AND THE COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR OF HONG KONG INDUSTRIAL ESTATES CORPORATION, MR P.K. WONG.
AFTER LUNCH THEY VISITED A FACTORY IN SAN PO KONG AND THE TRADE INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT.
THE GROUP WILL VISIT POLICE HEADQUARTERS, HMS TAMAR AND THE BORDER AREA WHILE THEY ARE IN HONG KONG.
THEY LEAVE HONG KONG ON THURSDAY FOR KOREA, JAPAN AND MALAYSIA.
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