WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1985
+IT IS ALREADY THE LARGEST SUCH CENTRE IN THE FAR EAST AND IS SAID TO RANK THIRD IN THE WORLD LEAGUE AFTER LONDON AND NEW YORK.
***BE THAT AS IT MAY, THE CITY OF HONG KONG PROVIDES AND MARKETS, OFF-SHORE AS WELL AS ON-SHORE, A WIDE RANGE OF FINANCIAL AND ALLIED SERVICES INDEPENDENT OF VISIBLE TRADE TRANSACTIONS AND I SEE NO OBVIOUS COMPETITOR TO HONG KONG FOR THE ROLE
OF THE REGIONAL CAPITAL CITY IN AND FOR THE FAR EAST,+ HE SAID."'
ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID IT WAS LOGICAL AND SENSIBLE TO START DEVELOPING A SYSTEM WHICH WAS COMPATIBLE WITH AND, AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, REINFORCED THE HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY PROMISED BY THE SINO- BRITISH AGREEMENT FOR THE FUTURE HONG KONG SAR GOVERNMENT, AND A SYSTEM WHICH WAS SELF-GENERATING.
+NOW THE ESSENCE OF ANY SELF-GENERATING SYSTEM IS THAT IT SHOULD BE SO FIRMLY ROOTED IN, AND ACCOUNTABLE TO, THE COMMUNITY AS TO OBVI ATE THE NEED FOR EXTERNAL DIRECTION AND SO SENSITIVE TO GEO-POLITICAL REALITIES AS TO MINIMISE THE RISK OF INTERVENTION FROM TIME TO TIME BY THE SOVEREIGN POWER, HE SAID.
+AT THE SAME TIME, THERE IS LITTLE POINT IN DEVISING ANY NEW SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT WHICH PUTS AT RISK THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL STABILITY AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG FOR, WHATEVER VIEW ONE TAKES OF HONG KONG'S LONGER TERM DESTINY CONTINUING STABILITY AND PROSPERITY ARE THE VERY RAISON D'ÊTRE OF ITS CONTINUED EXISTENCE.
+IT WAS SIMPLE PRUDENCE, THEREFORE, TO ADOPT A GRADUAL STEP BY STEP APPROACH.
COUPLED WITH SOCI AL +MOREOVER, IN VIEW OF THE GROWTH MOMENTUM STABILITY, WHICH WE HAVE ENJOYED FOR MANY YEARS PAST, IT WOULD SEEM TO MAKE SELF-EVIDENT SENSE TO BUILD THE NEW SYSTEM ON THE MOST RELEVANT FEATURES OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM, + HE SAID.
THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID ONE SUCH FEATURE WAS THE LONG- ESTABLISHED PRACTICE OF GOVERNMENT BY CONSULTATION AND CONSENSUS WHICH WAS CHARACTERISED BY AN ABSENCE OF FACTIONS AND ADVERSARI AL POLITICS.
+IT IS A PRACTICE WHICH DEPENDS ON THE ABSENCE OF PARTIES TAKING UP AN OPPOSITION + STANCE FOR ITS OWN SAKE, HE SAID.
+IT IS A PRACTICE WHICH IS SUBJECT ORIENTED. IT IS A PRACTICE DESIGNED TO TACKLE THE PROBLEMS OF THE DAY VIA A PRAGMATIC APPROACH. YET IT IS A PRACTICE WHICH DOES NOT RULE OUT GROUPINGS OF LIKE MINDED PEOPLE EITHER GENERALLY OR BY ISSUES.
(+WHATEVER INSTANT