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MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1984
ON THE QUESTION OF CONFIDENCE, HE CONCEDED THAT HE COULD NOT CLAIM THAT CONFIDENCE OF LOCAL INVESTORS WOULD RETURN IMMEDIATELY AND BELIEVED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE TO OBSERVE FOR THREE TO SIX MONTHS BEFORE WE COULD SEE ANY SIGNS OF RECOVERY IN INVESTMENT.
+ON THE OTHER HAND, I BELIEVE THOSE WHO ARE NOT WILLING TO INVEST FURTHER IN HONG KONG WOULD NOT INVEST ANYWAY.
+ BUT THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THE AGREEMENT PRIOR TO MAKING A DECISION OF INVESTING IN HONG KONG SHOULD FIND THIS DRAFT AGREEMENT ENCOURAGING, HE SAID.
J
HE THEN LISTED THE RELEVANT PARAGRAPHS IN THE DRAFT AGREEMENT ON THE FUTURE ECONOMIC SYSTEM AND SAID: +ALL IN ALL, BELIEVE THE COMMON OBJECTIVE OF THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS OF MAINTAINING HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY CAN BE ACHIEVED PROVIDED THAT THE FUTURE GOVERNMENT IS A CREDIBLE GOVERNMENT WHICH CAN BE RELIED UPON TO CARRY OUT THESE POLICIES.+
TURNING TO THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE DRAFT AGREEMENT, MR LEE MENTIONED THE FOUR BASIC REQUIREMENTS WHICH WERE CONSIDERED TO BE ESSENTIAL TO THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE AGREEMENT SET OUT IN THE UMELCO STATEMENT OF MAY THIS YEAR.
HE SAID HE PERSONALLY CONSIDERED THE FOUR REQUIREMENTS HAD BEEN MET, THOUGH SOME PEOPLE MIGHT WISH TO SEE MORE DETAILS IN CERTAIN AREAS.
+THERE ARE SUFFICIENT DETAILS IN THIS DRAFT AGREEMENT ON WHICH THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG CAN PLAN AND BUILD THEIR FUTURE,+ HE SAID.
MR LEE PAID TRIBUTE TO THE MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, PARTICULARLY SIR S.Y. CHUNG, THE GOVERNOR, TO THE MANY LOCAL DELEGATIONS WHICH HAD GONE TO BEIJING TO PRESENT THE IR VIEWS AND TO THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP FOR THEIR PATIENCE IN HEARING REPRESENTATIONS FROM THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
KONG.
+THIS DRAFT AGREEMENT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING OF A NEW HONG
+ IT IS UP TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO MAKE FURTHER CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS OUR FUTURE.
+ SUPPORT THE DRAFT AGREEMENT WITH CLEAR CONSCIENCE AND I SUPPORT THE MOTION BEFORE THIS COUNCIL TODAY, HE CONCLUDED.
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