SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 1986
JLG TEAMS GET TO KNOW HK BETTER
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IT WAS A MEETING OF A DIFFERENT KIND FOR MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH AND CHINESE TEAMS OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP WHEN THEY GOT TOGETHER EARLY THIS (SATURDAY) MORNING FOR A FAMILIARISATION TOUR OF HONG KONG.
WITH THE THIRD ROUND OF TALKS BEHIND THEM, LEADER OF THE BRITISH SIDE, DR DAVID WILSON, AND THE CHINESE TEAM LEADER, MR KE ZAISHUO, WERE IN A RELAXED MOOD WHEN THEY MET AT QUEEN'S PIER FOR THE START OF THEIR TOUR.
BOARDING THE LADY MAURINE AND THE TIN HAU, THE FIRST STOP FOR THE VISITORS AFTER A LEISURELY CRUISE WAS THE KWAI CHUNG CONTAINER TERMINAL.
MET ON ARRIVAL BY THE CHAIRMAN OF MODERN TERMINALS LIMITED, MR D.A. GLEDHILL, AND ITS MANAGING DIRECTOR, MR J.M.E. LEESE, MEMBERS OF BOTH SIDES SHOWED CONSIDERABLE INTEREST WHEN THEY WERE SHOWN FACILITIES AT THE TERMINAL, WHICH IS THE THIRD BUSIEST IN THE WORLD.
FROM KWAI CHONG THE GROUP BOARDED COACHES FOR SHA TIN TO LOOK AT THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRESS OF ONE OF HONG KONG*1. NEW TOWNS.
FOLLOWING A SHORT BRIEFING BY ASSISTANT DISTRICT OFFICER, SHA TIN, MR NG YAN-CHUNG, THE PARTY PROCEEDED TO THE LION'S PAVILION FOR A PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE NEW TOWN, WHICH IS HOME TO MORE THAN 350 000 PEOPLE.
THE VISITORS WERE TOLD THAT ON FULL DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW TOWN - WHICH INCLUDES MA ON SHAN - THE POPULATION IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE 800 000 MARK BY THE MIDDLE OF THE NEXT DECADE.
WITH ABOUT 65 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION LIVING IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES, IT WAS ONLY NATURAL THAT THEY VISITED LUNG HANG ESTATE.
THEY WERE TOLD BY THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT'S ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (REGIONAL MANAGEMENT), MR CHAN PAK, WHO MET THEM THAT LUNG HANG ESTATE PROVIDED 4 367 RENTAL AND 1424 HOME OWNERSHIP FLATS FOR ABOUT 30 000 PEOPLE.
FOLLOWING A TOUR OF THE COMMERCIAL COMPLEX, MEMBERS OF BOTH SIDES VISITED ONE OF THE FLATS AND CHATTED WITH THE OCCUPANTS.
THE PARTY THEN MOVED TO THE NEW TOWN PLAZA FOR LUNCH AND TO WATCH THE COLOURFUL MUSIC FOUNTAIN.
DR WILSON, MR KE AND FOUR MEMBERS OF THE CHINESE TEAM THEN JOINED THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, MRS ELIZABETH" WONG, FOR A HELICOPTER TOUR OF THE TERRITORY.
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