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WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 1987
WHILE THERE WERE NO COMPREHENSIVE STATISTICS GIVING THE NUMBER AND DETAILS OF THOSE WHO EMIGRATED, HE SAID THE ONLY STATISTICS THAT GAVE AN INDICATION WERE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE LEAVING HONG KONG EACH YEAR ON HONG KONG TRAVEL DOCUMENTS AND THE NUMBERS RETURNING.
MR FORD SAID THE NET OUTWARD MOVEMENT OF HONG KONG RESIDENTS, EXCLUDING THOSE TO AND FROM CHINA, AVERAGED 20 000 BETWEEN 1980 AND 1984.
HE SAID THE FIGURE DROPPED TO ABOUT 11 500 IN 1985 AND WAS JUST UNDER 14 000 IN 1986.
HE ALSO SAID OVER 8 000 EX-HONG KONG RESIDENTS RETURNED ON FOREIGN PASSPORTS AND WERE GRANTED THE RIGHT TO LAND LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF BETTER JOB PROSPECTS AND OTHER ATTRACTIONS HERE.
+PEOPLE COMING BACK FROM THE UK, CANADA AND THE STATES, ARMED WITH DEGREES AND WORK EXPERIENCE, ARE HELPING TO PROMOTE HONG KONG AS AN INTERNATIONAL CITY, HE SAID.
HE ADMITTED SOME PEOPLE DID FEEL UNCERTAIN ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.
BUT
+THE FACT IS THAT UNCERTAINTY EXISTS IN ANY SOCIETY. WHEN ONE LOOKS AROUND AT THE LONG-TERM INTRACTABLE PROBLEMS FACING A LARGE NUMBER OF OTHER COUNTRIES, HONG KONG HAS EVERY REASON TO FACE ITS FUTURE WITH A GOOD DEAL MORE CONFIDENCE THAN MANY OTHER PLACES.
+OF COURSE THE COMMUNITY IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT THEY WILL HAVE UP TO AND BEYOND 1997. BUT THAT IS WHY THERE IS SO MUCH HEALTHY DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS TOPIC.
+IF WE TAKE TIME TO CONSIDER OUR THRIVING ECONOMY, OUR REDUCING CRIME RATE, OUR HARDWORKING AND STABLE WORKFORCE AND THE STRENGTH OF OUR COMMUNITY WHICH HAS NONE OF THE RACIAL, RELIGIOUS OR FACTIONAL PROBLEMS WHICH BESET SO MANY OTHER PLACES AT THIS TIME, I BELIEVE THAT WE COULD AGREE THAT HONG KONG HAS MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR AND MUCH TO LOOK FORWARD TO,+ HE ADDED.
HE ALSO SAID IT WOULD BE A REFRESHING CHANGE IF THE VIEWS OF THE MAJORITY OF HONG KONG PEOPLE WHO DID HAVE REAL CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE AND WHO WERE DETERMINED TO STAY HERE AND MAKE IT WORK WERE TO BE GIVEN MORE PROMINENCE THAN HAD BEEN THE CASE IN RECENT MONTHS.
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