SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1986
POLITICAL SYSTEM HK'S GREATEST CHALLENGE
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THE DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG'S SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT WILL PERHAPS BE THE GREATEST CHALLENGE FOR THE TERRITORY, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID THIS (SATURDAY) MORNING.
SPEAKING BEFORE MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE AT THE PHILADELPHIA WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL, SIR DAVID SAID IT WOULD BE A CHALLENGE BECAUSE THERE WERE NO PRECEDENTS FOR WHAT HAD TO BE ACCOMPLISHED.
+IT'S NO USE SIMPLY LOOKING IN TEXTBOOKS OF POLITICAL THEORY AND SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT, OR SIMPLY TAKING SOMETHING OFF THE SHELF FROM WESTERN DEMOCRACY AND TRYING TO STICK IT INTO THE HONG KONG ENVIRONMENT, HE SAID.
THE CHALLENGE IS, HE SAID, TO TAKE THE PRESENT COLONIAL SYSTEM AND ADAPT AND MOULD IT IN SUCH A WAY THAT HONG KONG WILL PASS THROUGH 1997 WITHOUT DISLOCATION. IN ITS SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL ORGANISATION, AND WITHOUT ANY NOTICEABLE BREAK IN THE LIVES OF ITS PEOPLE.
SIR DAVID SAID THE TASK IN THE YEARS AHEAD WOULD BE TO BUILD A SYSTEM WHICH WILL MEET THE HOPES AND EXPECTATIONS OF THE PEOPLE ON THE ONE HAND, AND ON THE OTHER TO CREATE A GOVERNMENT WHICH WILL, WHILE EXERCISING A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY, NEVERTHELESS, BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE LARGER ENTITY OF CHINA AND THE CONCEPT OF +ONE COUNTRY TWO SYSTEMS+.
MOVING ON TO PHYSICAL PREPARATIONS FOR THE YEARS AHEAD, SIR DAVID EMPHASISED THAT IMPROVEMENTS TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE WERE PROCEEDING APACE.
+HAVE WE STARTED TO PACK OUR BAGS IN HONG KONG? THE ANSWER TO THAT IS NO, HE SAID.
HE POINTED OUT THE PRIVATE SECTOR EXPANSION OF THE CONTAINER TERMINAL, THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SECOND CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL, HONG KONG INVOLVEMENT IN THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR PLANT, AND GOVERNMENT PLANS FOR A THIRD UNIVERSITY AS EXAMPLES OF CONTINUING INVESTMENT,
IN ADDITION, HE SAID, ROAD, RAIL AND FERRY LINKS WITH CHINA ARE EXPANDING AT A RECORD RATE.
SIR DAVID SAID THE PHYSICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THIS PROCESS AS THE HINTERLAND OF GUANGDONG PROVINCE DEVELOPS WILL BE A GROWING CONURBATION IN THE PEARL RIVER DELTA, STRETCHING FROM HONG KONG TO CANTON.
TURNING TO HONG KONG'S POSITION IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, HE SAID IT HAD TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE ASSURANCE OF A WELL-REGULATED AND STABLE ENVIRONMENT TO ATTRACT INVESTMENT IN THE TERRITORY.
/HE POINTED