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TEURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1984
NINETEEN NINETY-SEVEN WILL NOT ONLY MARK THE END OF AN ERA IN HONG KONG MORE IMPORTANTLY IT WILL MARK THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA.
THE SUCCESS OF THIS AGREEMENT WILL DEPEND NOT ONLY ON-CHINA AND THE UK, BUT IN LARGE PART ON THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND THE IR WILLINGNESS TO MAKE IT WORK. AS THE HOUSE KNOWS VERY WELL THEY ARE RESOURCEFUL AND RESILIENT AND BELIEVE THAT THERE
IS EVERY CHANCE THAT IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY HONG KONG WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE STRIKING FINANCIAL ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SUCCESS THAT IT IS TODAY.
CERTAINLY, WE SHALL CONTINUE FULLY, RESPONSIBLY AND EFFECTIVELY TO DISCHARGE OUR OBLIGATIONS TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG UNTIL 1997. AND THEREAFTER WE SHALL FOLLOW THE FORTUNES OF THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION WITH THE UTMOST ATTENTION AND INTEREST.
MY DEPUTY SPEAKER, THIS IS A DEBATE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AND ABOUT THE DRAFT AGREEMENT THAT IS BEFORE THE HOUSE TODAY. AND CLOSE BY SAYING THAT THIS IS AN HONOURABLE AGREEMENT. IT IS AN AGREEMENT THAT IS GOOD FOR BRITAIN, AN AGREEMENT THAT IS GOOD FOR CHINA. BUT FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN EITHER OF THOSE STATEMENTS, IT IS AN AGREEMENT WHICH IS GOOD FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. AND ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT I WARMLY AND STRONGLY COMMEND IT TO THE HOUSE.
MOVE TO ENSURE HK'S SHIPPING ROLE *****
THE GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO ENSURE THAT THE NECESSARY LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK IS IN PLACE TO ENABLE SHIPOWNERS TO CARRY ON THEIR BUSINESS IN A CLIMATE OF INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION.
THIS WAS STATED TODAY (THURSDAY) BY THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, MR PIERS JACOBS, WHEN HE ADDRESSED A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE SHIPPING COMMITTEE OF THE HONG KONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,
MR JACOBS SAID THAT CHANGES HAD TO BE MADE TO THE PRESENT SET-UP AS PROVISIONS HAD BEEN MADE UNDER THE SINO-BRITISH DRAFT AGREEMENT THAT THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION SHALL BE AUTHORISED BY THE CENTRAL PEOPLE'S GOVERNMENT TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN A SHIPPING REGISTER AND ISSUE RELATED CERTIFICATES UNDER ITS OWN LEGISLATION IN THE NAME OF HONG KONG, CHINA.
/+AT THE
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