SRDAY, MARCH 31, 1985
+ IF HONG KONG HAS ANYTHING TO OFFER CHINA, IT MUST SURELY BE IN RELATION TO EXPERTISE IN SERVICES, PARTICULARLY FINANCIAL AND RELATED SERVICES. WE HAVE EARNED OUR POSITION IN THE WORLD, LET US MAKE USE OF IT, MR JACOBS SAID.
HE BELIEVED THAT HONG KONG HAD TO TRY TO UPGRADE ITS MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY. THE LESS SKILL INTENSIVE INDUSTRIES WOULD BECOME UNECONOMIC AND WERE LIKELY TO BE TRANSFERRED TO SHENZHEN AND OTHER PARTS OF CHINA.
+ IF OUR MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IS TO SURVIVE, AND, GIVE ITS CONTRIBUTION TO EMPLOYMENT, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT IT SHOULD, THEN WE MUST UPGRADE OUR PRODUCTS, OUR METHODS AND OUR SKILLS.
+WE MUST CONTINUE TO LEARN NEW METHODS AND NEW TRADES, TO TAKE RISKS, TO SAVE, TO INVEST AND TO RAISE THE QUALITY OF OUR OUTPUT, HE SAID.
THERE WERE DANGERS. NEW AND ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES COULD TEND TO MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT THAN BEFORE FOR BUSINESS TO CHANGE THE IR PRODUCTS QUICKLY OR TO SWITCH THEIR MARKETS,
+I CANNOT PRETEND THAT IT WILL NOT BE A TESTING TIME. I BELIEVE THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS A ROLE TO PLAY, NOT BY WAY OF SUBSIDY OR INVESTMENT IN UNPRODUCTIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, BUT RATHER BY PROVIDING TRAINING AND INDUSTRY RELATED RESEARCH, HE SAID.
+THIS WE ALREADY DO THROUGH THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL AND THE PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE. WE ARE IMPROVING, HE ADDED.
WHILE NOTING THAT THE EXISTING ECONOMIC POLICIES HAD SERVED US WELL AND THE SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENT HAD COMMITTED THE SAR GOVERNMENT TO KEEPING THE CURRENT SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS IN HONG KONG UNCHANGED, MR JACOBS SAID THE BEST INDICATORS OF FUTURE POLICIES WERE PRESENT POLICIES.
MR JACOBS BELIEVED THAT WE MUST CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THE INTERNATIONAL CHARACTER OF OUR CITY BECAUSE IT WAS THIS, PERHAPS MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, THAT WOULD CONTRIBUTE SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY THAT WAS PROVIDED FOR BY THE JOINT DECLARATION.
ECHOING THE CHIEF SECRETARY DESIGNATE, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES' SENTIMENT THAT ENGLISH WAS THE LANGUAGE OF HONG KONG'S INTERNATIONAL LINKS, MR JACOBS SAID WE SHOULD NOT ABANDON THE USE OF ENGLISH.
+ IT IS OFTEN SAID THAT HONG KONG HAS NO NATURAL RESOURCES BEYOND ITS FINE HARBOUR AND ITS HARDWORKING PEOPLE. I SUGGEST THAT THERE IS A THIRD ASSET AND THAT IS THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE,- HE SAID.
/+IT IS