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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1984
+IN A SENSE, EVERYONE IN HONG KONG IS A MEMBER OF THAT GREAT MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION OF HONG KONG PEOPLE FIVE MILLION PEOPLE - WHO ARE CHARGED COLLECTIVELY WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE OF OUR ECONOMY, THE MAINTENANCE OF OUR SOCIAL PROGRESS, OUR PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT AND OUT POLITICAL EVOLUTION.
+FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES WE HAVE NO OTHER RESOURCES BUT PEOPLE, AND IT IS PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE HONG KONG WHAT IT IS TODAY, + HE ADDED.
MR AKERS-JONES SAID THAT IN THE PAST YEAR, MUCH HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED WITH CHANGES TO THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND THE CREATION OF A REGIONAL COUNCIL, THE PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER ON DEVELOPING A STRUCTURE OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, VISITS BY THE FOREIGN SECRETARY TO HONG KONG AND BEIJING. THERE HAD ALSO BEEN THE VISITS TO LONDON, THE COMPLETION OF MANY ROUND OF TALKS IN BEIJING, THE INITIALLING AND ANNOUNCING OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, THE FORMAL ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC OPINION; AND, AT THE YEAR'S END THE VISIT OF THE PRIME MINISTER TO BEIJING TO SIGN THE AGREEMENT.
+ IT HAS NOT BEEN A PARTICULARLY TRANQUIL YEAR,+ SAID
MR AKERS-JONES.
+WHERE, THEN, DO WE GO FROM HERE,+ HE SAID.
+FOR LAST YEAR'S WORDS BELONG TO LAST YEAR'S LANGUAGE, AND NEXT YEAR'S WORDS AWAIT ANOTHER VOICE, HE SAID.
HE SAID THERE WAS THE CONTINUING GOVERNMENT COMMITMENT TO DEVELOP THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND SERVICES NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN AND EXPAND PRESENT PROGRAMMES AND POLICIES,
+WITH THE EXPANSION OF THE METROPOLITAN AREA, RISING LIVING STANDARDS AND INCREASED EXPECTATIONS, WE HAVE BECOME AWARE OF NEW AND EMERGING SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND, IN PARTICULAR, THE NEED TO SHOW MORE CONCERN FOR THE PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY DISABLED, MORE CARE FOR OUR INCREASING NUMBER OF OLD PEOPLE AND MORE ATTENTION TO THE PARTICULAR PROBLEMS OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THIS RAPIDLY CHANGING SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT, + MR AKERS-JONES SAID.
+THERE IS ALSO THE MORE INTANGIBLE FACTOR OF THE CHANGING AND IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL OUR CITIZENS AND NOT MERELY FOR THE PRIVILEGED FEW.
+ IN RECENT YEARS HONG KONG HAS BECOME A CLEANER AND A GREENER PLACE AND THERE HAS BEEN A GREAT BLOSSOMING OF CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC ACTIVITY.+
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