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... APRIL 29, 1985 .
+HONG KONG HAS THEREFORE GOT OVER AN UNDERSTANDABLE BOUT OF NERVOUSNESS AND IS REQUIPPING FOR FUTURE GROWTH, HE SAID.
POINTING OUT THAT THE ENVIRONMENT AGAINST WHICH BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS AND INVESTMENT ARE MADE WAS ALSO BEING MOD IF IED, HE SAID THAT HONG KONG WAS ONCE AGAIN TAKING THE LEAD.
+IN A FEW MONTHS AN INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION CENTRE WILL BE ESTABLISHED IN HONG KONG WHICH WILL BE THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE PACIFIC REGION.
+RECENT LEGISLATION HAS ALSO LED TO AN EXPANSION OF THE INSURANCE AND RE-INSURANCE INDUSTRY BECAUSE OF THIS RELIABLE ENVIRONMENT, AND WELL OVER HALF OF THE 282 INSURANCE COMPANIES OPERATING IN HONG KONG ARE FROM OVERSEAS,+ MR AKERS-JONES SAID.
PLANS FOR INVESTMENT IN THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED TO SUPPORT HOUSING AND OTHER SOCIAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMMES, TO PROVIDE LAND FOR NEW INDUSTRIES, TO DEVELOP THE PORT AND AIRPORT WERE COMPREHENSIVE AND WERE BEING PURSUED WITH DETERMINATION, VIGOUR AND INTENSITY OF EFFORT+.
HE POINTED OUT THAT AN EXTENSION OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILWAY SYSTEM WOULD BE COMPLETED IN A FEW WEEKS' TIME, A SECOND CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL WAS PLANNED FOR COMPLETION BEFORE THE END OF THE DECADE, AND WORK WAS EXPECTED TO START TO EXTEND THE CONTAINER PORT, WHICH WAS ALREADY THIRD IN THE WORLD'S LEAGUE.
+AT ANY TIME IN HONG KONG THERE IS HOUSING FOR MORE THAN HALF A MILLION PEOPLE UNDER CONSTRUCTION, AND A STEADY STREAM OF CONTRACTS BEING LET ENSURES THAT THIS PROGRAMME WILL CONTINUE AS LONG AS THERE IS A HOUSING PROBLEM IN HONG KONG,+ MR AKERS- JONES SAID.
+CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY, HE SAID, SUMMED UP THE HONG KONG SITUATION, THOUGH THE WORDS MOST USED TO DESCRIBE HONG KONG'S FUTURE WERE +STABILITY AND PROSPERITY+, -
+
THE FACT WAS, AND THOSE WHO KNEW HONG KONG WOULD AGREE THAT +STABILITY AND PROSPERITY IN HONG KONG INCLUDE EXCITEMÉNT AND EXHILARATION, AND INCORPORATE CHANGE, CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY+.
+OUR OBJECT IS TO STEER A STEADY AND STABLE COURSE, BUT IN ORDER TO CONTAIN OUR AMBITION FOR PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN A MOMENTUM OF GROWTH AND PACE OF DEVELOPMENT WHICH NEVER FAILS TO SURPRISE OUR VISITORS, WHO, RETURNING AFTER A BRIEF ABSENCE, LOOK FOR FAMILIAR LANDMARKS AND FIND THEM GONE, BUT WHO THEN CANNOT FAIL TO BE IMPRESSED BY THE CHANGES THEY SEE AROUND THEM, + MR AKERS-JONES SAID.
/SPEAKING OF