THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1985
ALTHOUGH THE NUMBERS ARRIVING IN HONG KONG HAVE BEEN DECLINING, THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT THE RATE OF RESETTLEMENT HAS BEEN FALLING: 37 468 LEFT HONG KONG IN 1980, 17 818 IN 1981, 9 247 IN 1982, 4 200 IN 1983 AND 3 694 IN 1984. HE EXPLAINED THAT 2 937 HAVE BEEN RESETTLED SO FAR THIS YEAR,
THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID HONG KONG'S VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM WAS PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT. +WE NOW HAVE ABOUT 10 500 REFUGEES WHICH REPRESENTS 28 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL IN THE REGION.
+ IN ADDITION, HE POINTED OUT, +APPROXIMATELY 2 000 OF HONG KONG REFUGEES HAVE BEEN HERE FOR MORE THAN 5 YEARS. WE HAVE THE GREATEST NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE BOAT REFUGEES AND THE LONGEST STAYER.+
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JOINT STUDY ON CROSS-BORDER TRAFFIC PLANNED ****
THERE WAS A NEED FOR CHINA AND HONG KONG TO POOL RESOURCES AND PLANNING EXPERTISE FOR A JOINT STUDY ON THE FUTURE DEMAND FOR CROSS- BORDER ROAD PASSENGER TRAFFIC, THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR JAMES SO, SAID THIS EVENING.
HE SAID THIS IN VIEW OF THE RAPID INCREASE IN CROSS-BORDER ROAD PASSENGER TRAFFIC IN RECENT YEARS.
+ IT IS OBVIOUS THAT WITH THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF CHINA'S SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES, THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE ROAD NETWORK WITHIN THE COUNTRY AND THE EVER-IMPROVING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHINA AND HONG KONG. THE DEMAND FOR CROSS-BORDER ROAD PASSENGER TRAFFIC WILL CONTINUE TO GROW,+ MR SO SAID.
A JOINT STUDY WOULD ENSURE THAT PROJECTIONS AND PLANS ON FUTURE DEMANDS REACHED BY BOTH SIDES WERE MADE ON THE SAME BASIS.
MR SO SAID DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THE CHINESE AND HONG KONG AUTHORITIES TO SET UP A JOINT WORKING TEAM TO UNDERTAKE SUCH A STUDY WERE NOW UNDERWAY.
LOOKING BACK, MR SO SAID THAT THE OPENING OF THE LAND BORDER BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA WAS A VERY RECENT EVENT. UP TO 1979, THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY PROVIDED THE ONLY PASSENGER SERVICE ON LAND BETWEEN THE TWO PLACES, HE SAID.
HOWEVER, GROWING CONGESTION AT THE MAN KAM TO CROSSING, LARGELY AN OUTCOME OF CHINA'S NEW ECONOMIC POLICIES IN THE 1970'S EVENTUALLY PROMPTED THE TWO SIDES TO START TALKS IN 1979 ON HOW TO IMPROVE CROSS-BORDER ROAD FACILITIES. THE TALKS RESULTED IN AN- AGREEMENT WHICH, AMONG OTHER THINGS, PAVED THE WAY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SECOND BRIDGE AT MAN KAM TO, AND THE PROVISION OF TWO ADDITIONAL ROAD BORDER CROSSINGS AT SHA TAU KOK AND LOK MA CHAU BEFORE THE END OF THIS DECADE.
/+TODAY, WE