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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1983
+WE HAVE DONE SO DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE HAD TO ADAPT TO THE REPETITIVE PROCESS OF MASS PRODUCTION AND WORK IN INDUSTRY.
+WE HAVE SUCCEEDED BEYOND BELIEF, HAVE FOUND MARKETS FOR OUR PRODUCTS AND IN DOING SO, HAVE ACHIEVED A STANDARD OF LIVING WHICH IS HIGHER THAN MOST PLACES IN ASIA.
+OUR COMMUNITY IS STRONG AND HAS WITHSTOOD THE IMPACT OF ACCELERATED, ALMOST VIOLENT CHANGE FOR A MIXTURE OF REASONS: THE STRENGTH OF TRADITION, ATTITUDES TO ONE ANOTHER, OUR METHOD OF CONFRONTING DIFFICULTIES AND RESOLVING PROBLEMS BY DISCUSSION RATHER THAN CONFRONTATION, OUR UNIQUE SYSTEMS OF CONSULTATION, A CONFIDENCE IN OUR ABILITY TO MASTER NEW SKILLS AND TECHNIQUÉS NECESSARY FOR SURVIVAL AND TO SUCCEED WHERE OTHERS HAVE FAILED, AND A THIRST ALMOST AN OBSESSION, FOR EDUCATION.+
LOOKING BACK AT THE COMMUNITY HONG KONG PEOPLE HAVE BUILT, HE ADDED: +WE HAVE PROVIDED HOMES FOR THE HOMELESS AND WORK FOR THE WORKLESS.
+WE HAVE FACED HARDSHIPS TOGETHER HOUSING SHORTAGES, DROUGHT AND FLOOD, TYPHOON, FIRE AND SICKNESS.
+WITHOUT NATURAL RESOURCES WE HAVE CREATED WITH HUMAN INGENUITY AND ENTERPRISE A COMPLEX, MODERN SOCIETY AND ONE OF THE GREAT TRADING AND FINANCIAL CENTRES OF THE WORLD.+
MR AKERS-JONES ALSO REFERRED TO THE LLEWELLYN REPORT AND SAID: +1 WOULD LIKE TO RE-ASSURE YOU ALL THAT IT IS NOT A REPORT WHICH WILL BE FORGOTTEN.+
+IT ASKS A SERIES OF QUESTIONS AND ERECTS SOME GUIDE POSTS, BUT WE, THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, HAVE TO FIND SENSIBLE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS AND FIND OUR WAY FROM GUIDE POST TO GUIDE POST.
+OUR TASK WHEN LOOKING AT THE LLEWELLYN REPORT IS TWO-FOLD: WE HAVE TO DECIDE HOW TO GIVE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE THE BEST EDUCATION WE CAN AND WE HAVE TO BUILD THE BRIDGE TO THE WORLD AS STRONGLY AS WE CAN.
+BY DOING SO, WE RETAIN AND STRENGTHEN THE CONTRIBUTION WE CAN MAKE AS A PLACE, AS A PEOPLE, AS A COMMUNITY, TO THE MEETING OF EAST AND WEST AND TO THE WIDER WORLD COMMUNITY, HE SAID.
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