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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1981
+I CAN ONLY HOPE THAT OUR SECOND GENERATION ENTREPRENEURS ARE NOT LOSING THE TOUCH THE IR FATHERS HAD,+ HE SAID.
ON THE SUBJECT OF DIVERS IF ICATION, MR WU CONSIDERED IT NOT A BAD THING TO RECONVENE THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON DIVERS IF ICATION, OR THOSE MEMBERS WHO ARE AVAILABLE AND REPORT PROGRESS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.
CONDITIONS HAVE CHANGED A GOOD DEAL SINCE THAT REPORT WAS PUBLISHED AND EVEN MORE SINCE THE TERMS OF REFERENCE WERE FRAMED IN 1977.
+THE REASONS WHY WE MUST DIVERSIFY AND MODERNISE ARE MORE COMPELLING TODAY.
+HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY REMAINS THE BACKBONE OF THE ECONOMY AND WE MUST NOT NEGLECT ANY OPPORTUNITY TO ENCOURAGE AND DEVELOP IT.+
TURNING TO THE PROPOSED ACADEMY OF THE PERFORMING ARTS, MR WU SAID HE WELCOMED THIS IMAGINATIVE PROJECT AND THE GOVERNMENT'S RECOGNITION OF ITS ROLE IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN THE ARTS.
HE WAS PARTICULARLY PLEASED TO SEE THAT THE NAME +ACADEMY+ WAS USED TO DESCRIBE THE ESTABLISHMENT - A NAME SUGGESTED BY MR WU DURING THE POLICY DEBATE IN 1977.
FOLLOWING ITS ANNOUNCEMENT, HE NOTED, THE PROJECT HAD ATTRACTED SOME CRITICISM WHICH REVEALED ONLY TOO CLEARLY THE CONFUSION BETWEEN THE TEACHING FUNCTION OF SUCH AN INSTITUTION AND THE PROVISION OF FACILITIES FOR PERFORMANCE.
+THIS ILL-CONCEIVED CRITICISM CULMINATED IN QUERULOUS COMPLAINTS THAT WE WERE EMBARKING ON THE ACADEMY BEFORE WE HAD BEGUN WORK ON THE LONG-PLANNED TSIM SHA TSUI CULTURAL COMPLEX.
+WHILE A COMPLEX DESIGNED FOR PUBLIC PERFORMANCES MAY WELL BECOME INVOLVED IN EDUCATION AND CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE VALUABLE FACILITIES THE DISTINCTION SHOULD BE RECOGNISED AS FUNDAMENTAL.
+AND WHEN IT IS RECOGNISED THERE WILL BE NO GROUNDS FOR CONFLICT OR MISUNDERSTANDING OF ANY KIND, HE SAID.
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