THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1982
NEW YEARBOOK SPOTLIGHTS KEY TO HK'S SUCCESS
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POSITIVE NON-INTERVENTION FITS THE-SKY-IS-THE-LIMIT OUTLOOK OF HONG KONG'S PEOPLE, A PROMINENT LOCAL JOURNALIST SAYS IN THE NEW GOVERNMENT YEARBOOK WHICH GOES ON SALE TOMORROW (FRIDAY).
AND AS A RESULT OF THIS NON-INTERVENTION THERE HAS BEEN AN ON-GOING PROLIFERATION OF SMALL BUSINESSES, MAXIMISING CANTONESE ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS WHERE SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL AND YET PROVIDING ALSO THE RIGHT CLIMATE FOR THE SHANGHAINESE WITH GREATER ORGANISATIONAL ABILITY WHO SEE BIGGER AS DESIRABLE.
MR GRAHAM JENKINS EXPRESSES HIS PERSONAL VIEWS ON HONG KONG'S GREATEST ASSET - ITS PEOPLE IN THE YEARBOOK'S REVIEW CHAPTER WHICH TAKES STOCK OF THE RESULTS OF THE 1981 CENSUS.
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+HONG KONG IS ESSENTIALLY AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE INDIVIDUAL WILL DO WHEN DRIVEN BY THE DESIRE FOR DIGNITY THROUGH SELF BETTERMENT, GIVEN FREEDOM OF ACTION IN AN INCREASINGLY SOPHISTICATED COMPETITIVE SOCIETY,+ HE SAYS.
HE DESCRIBES THE TERRITORY AS AN IMMENSE OPEN MARKET FOR ALL THE WORLD'S PRODUCERS BECAUSE IT MUST IMPORT EVERYTHING IT USES TO FEED ITS EXPORT-LED INDUSTRIES, EXCEPT FOR THE ENERGY, DILIGENCE, ENTERPRISE AND SKILLS OF ITS OWN LABOUR.
+ALREADY 16TH IN WORLD TRADE AND THIRD FINANCIAL CENTRE OF THE WORLD, HONG KONG IS NOT A MODERN MIRACLE WHICH ONLY THE MUMBO-JUMBO OF SOME MYSTIC MIGHT EXPLAIN.
+THE SECRET OF ITS REMARKABLE SUCCESS, INCLUDING ITS UPS AND DOWNS, LIES IN ITS OWN PECULIAR SOCIAL CHEMISTRY - IMPORTED TRADITIONS, IDEALS AND KNOW-HOW FROM EAST AND WEST AND THE ASPIRATIONS, HUMAN VALUES AND CHARACTER TRAITS OF ITS PEOPLE.+
MR JENKINS SAYS THAT ADMINISTRATIVE RESTRAINT IN ECONOMIC INTERVENTION, EXCEPT TO SMOOTH THE ROUGH SOCIAL EDGES, HAS RAISED THE PROSPECT, DESPITE CURRENT INFLATION, OF A MEDIAN FAMILY DISPOSABLE INCOME WITHIN THE NEXT DECADE COMPARABLE WITH SOME DEVELOPED NATIONS, INCLUDING BRITAIN,
HONG KONG HAS A REPUTATION, AMONG THOSE WHO KNOW IT AND ARE FASCINATED BY ITS DAILY VISIBLE GROWTH, AS ONE OF THE MOST EFFICIENT, HARDWORKING AND FORWARD-LOOKING PLACES ON EARTH, AND THE 1981 CENSUS CONFIRMS THE BASE FOR THIS ASSERTION, HE SAYS.
POINTING OUT THAT THE PROPORTION OF THE WORKING AGE POPULATION, FROM 15 TO 64, HAS INCREASED FROM 59.7 PER CENT TO 68.6 PER CENT OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS, HE COMMENTS: THIS MAKES FOR A MORE PRODUCTIVE COMMUNITY AND BETTER ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE WITH MORE GRAVY FOR EVERYBODY..
WITH MORE THAN 100 COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHS, SOME 254 PAGES OF TEXT PLUS DETAILED APPENDICES AND A COMPREHENSIVE INDEX, THE YEARBOOK IS AVAILABLE IN CHINESE AND ENGLISH EDITIONS AT $24 A COPY FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, G.P.O. BUILDING, CONNAUGHT PLACE, CENTRAL.
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