FRIDAY, JULY 18, 1986
EXPO A PLATFORM TO SHOW OUR ACHIEVEMENTS
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EXPO '86 PROVIDES HONG KONG WITH A PLATFORM TO SHOW ITSELF TO THE REST OF THE WORLD AS A VIABLE AND VIGOROUS CITY WITH WIDE INTERNATIONAL TRADING CONNECTIONS, AS A MAJOR MANUFACTURING AND FINANCIAL CENTRE, AND AS A REGIONAL CENTRE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT, ALL WITH A FUTURE SECURED WELL INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE NEXT CENTURY.
THIS WAS THE MESSAGE CONVEYED BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, IN AN ADDRESS IN VANCOUVER TO THE VANCOUVER BOARD OF TRADE, THE HONG KONG-CANADA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION AND THE ROYAL COMMONWEALTH SOCIETY ON THURSDAY (FRIDAY, HK TIME).
IN HIS SPEECH ENTITLED 'HONG KONG AND CANADA: THE RELATIONSHIP GROWS CLOSER', THE GOVERNOR NOTED THAT LINKS WITH BRITISH COLUMBIA PROVINCE WERE NOT TIED SOLELY TO TRADE OR ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS, SAYING: +OUR FRIENDSHIP GOES DEEPER THAN THAT. WE ENJOY STRONG CULTURAL LINKS AS WELL. THERE ARE MANY IN VANCOUVER'S CHINESE COMMUNITY WHOSE HOMES WERE ORIGINALLY IN HONG KONG, AND MANY OF HONG KONG'S YOUNG CITIZENS HAVE BENEFITTED FROM BEING EDUCATED HERE, AND ELSEWHERE IN CANADA.+
SIR EDWARD SAID THERE WERE THREE REASONS FOR HONG KONG TO TAKE PART IN EXPO '86. FIRST, THE THEMES OF THE EXPOSITION - COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORTATION - WERE TWO OF THE PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS ACCOUNTING FOR HONG KONG'S ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND FINANCE. SECOND, VANCOUVER AND HONG KONG HAD A COMMON
THIRD, THE TIME INTEREST IN THE FAST DEVELOPING PACIFIC RIM. COINCIDED WITH THE RENEWAL OF CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG.
HE DESCRIBED THE DESIGN OF THE HONG KONG PAVILION AS AN IMAGINATIVE SYMBOL OF THE QUALITIES AND FEATURES WHICH MADE HONG KONG UNIQUE.
A MODERN STRUCTURE SURROUNDED BY TRADITIONAL BAMBOO SCAFFOLDING, THE PAVILION'S MODERNITY WAS REMINISCENT OF THE SKYLINE OF MODERN HONG KONG WHILE THE BAMBOO RECALLED THE STRENGTH AND VERSATILITY OF THE POPULATION.
+ THE COMBINATION OF THE TWO IS ALSO SYMBOLIC OF HONG KONG AS A PLACE WHERE EAST AND WEST HAVE MET IN HARMONY TO THE COMMON BENEFIT OF BOTH, HE SAID.
SIR EDWARD TOLD HIS AUDIENCE THAT HONG KONG WAS A CITY ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS, ON WHICH ITS ECONOMY DEPENDED.
BASICALLY A PLACE VERY LIMITED IN NATURAL RESOURCES, THE TERRITORY HAD BUILT UP AN ECONOMY WELL DIVERSIFIED WITH MANUFACTURING AND SERVICE INDUSTRIES, ADVANCED AND EFFICIENT COMMUNICATIONS, AND WORLD CLASS FINANCIAL SERVICES.
PHONG KONG