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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1988
HE ADDED THAT ALL THE ORGANISATIONAL WORK FOR THE EXPO WOULD HAPPEN IN THE YEARS LEADING UP TO 1997. DURING THAT PERIOD, HONG KONG PEOPLE WOULD CAST ASIDE THEIR DIFFERENCES, DOUBTS AND UNCERTAINTIES AND WORK TOGETHER FOR A COMMON GOAL.
"PSYCHOLOGICALLY, JUST THE ANTICIPATION FOR SUCH A GREAT EVENT IS SURE TO STIMULATE OUR CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE AND MORALLY SUSTAIN US THROUGH THESE TROUBLING YEARS, HE SAID.
HE ALSO SAID THAT THE PRE-FEASIBILITY STUDY COMMISSIONED BY THE HON STEPHEN CHEONG HAD OFFERED SOME VERY THOUGHT PROVOKING IDEAS AND INFORMATIVE DATA SO THAT A PERSON COULD NOW HAVE A MUCH BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE GENERAL NATURE AND THE IMPLICATIONS OF HOSTING AN EXPO.
NO
ITS CONCLUSIONS, HOWEVER BASIC, INDICATED THAT THERE WERE INSURMOUNTABLE OBSTACLES THAT WOULD PREVENT HONG KONG FROM ORGANISING AN EXPQ IN 1997.
MR HO NOTED THAT IN THE PAST WEEK, SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAD PRONOUNCED SOME VERY NEGATIVE OPINIONS ABOUT THE EXPO IDEA.
A STRONG MESSAGE HAD BEEN PROJECTED TO THE PUBLIC THAT IF AN EXPO WERE TO BE ORGANISED IN HONG KONG, SOME, IF NOT ALL, OF THE FUTURE MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURAL PROJECTS WOULD EITHER BE DELAYED OR LOST.
HE QUESTIONED HOW CERTAIN THE GOVERNMENT WAS THAT AN EXPO WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON OTHER INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENTS AND WHAT EXPERT ADVICE THE GOVERNMENT HAD OBTAINED IN ARRIVING AT ITS OPINION.
MR HO ALSO QUESTIONED WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WAS AWARE AND CONVINCED OF THE TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE BENEFITS OF HOSTING AN EXPO IN HONG KONG IN 1997, ESPECIALLY IN RELATION ΤΟ THE GENERATION OF CONFIDENCE IN THE YEARS LEADING UP TO THE TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY IN
1997.
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