TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 1986
SPEECH BY GOVERNOR AT NCNA SPRING DINNER
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DIRECTOR XU, MRS XU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
I SHOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF ALL MY COLLEAGUES HERE THIS EVENING FOR YOUR WARM WELCOME AND FOR YOUR HOSPITALITY AND WISH YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES GOOD HEALTH AND HAPPINESS IN THE YEAR AHEAD. THE OX AND THE TIGER HAVE DIFFERENT QUALITIES. BOTH, I AM SURE, WILL PROVE TO BRING GOOD FORTUNE TO HONG KONG.
IN THE YEAR THAT HAS PASSED SINCE YOU LAST INVITED US TO CELEBRATE SPRING FESTIVAL WITH YOU, MUCH HAS HAPPENED TO STRENGTHEN THE RELATIONS BETWEEN US. THE FIRST STEPS ALONG THE ROAD OF IMPLEMENTING THE JOINT DECLARATION HAVE BEEN TAKEN. WE CAN BE WELL SATISFIED WITH WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED BOTH IN THE LAND COMMISSION AND IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP. WE WERE GREATLY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO WELCOME STATE COUNCILLOR JI PENGFEI TO HONG KONG AT THE END OF LAST YEAR AND TO EXCHANGE VIEWS WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER CHINESE VISITORS INCLUDING MR LU PING AND HIS COLLEAGUES.
I LOOK FORWARD TO DEVELOPING THIS COOPERATION IN THE COMING YEAR. THERE WILL DOUBTLESS BE NEW CHALLENGES. WE SHALL MEET
THE THEM WITH CONFIDENCE. AS I SAID IN MY NEW YEAR MESSAGE, GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO DO ALL IT CAN TO PROVIDE AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH HONG KONG CAN FLOURISH, AND SEEK FURTHER PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTING THE JOINT DECLARATION.
NEXT WEEK THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP WILL MEET IN HONG KONG FOR THE FIRST TIME. LIKE YOU LOOK FORWARD TO A SUCCESSFUL MEETING. WE ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO THE VISIT OF THE QUEEN TO CHINA AND HONG KONG, AND I AM SURE THAT THE VISIT OF GENERAL SECRETARY HU TO BRITAIN WILL BE WELCOMED THERE.
I SHOULD NOW LIKE TO PROPOSE A TOAST TO THE HEALTH OF DIRECTOR XU AND MRS XU: TO THE HEALTH OF ALL YOUR COLLEAGUES HERE THIS EVENING, TO THE CONTINUING STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG, AND TO OUR CONTINUING CO-OPERATION IN THE YEAR AHEAD.
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