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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1991
GOVERNOR ATTENDS PRO NATIONAL DAY RECEPTION
FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE SPEECH BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, AT THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA NATIONAL DAY RECEPTION AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTRE THIS (MONDAY) EVENING:
"DIRECTOR ZHOU NAN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
"I AM PLEASED TO BE WITH YOU THIS EVENING
TO CELEBRATE THE OCCASION OF THE 42ND ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.
"THIS
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TIME LAST YEAR I SAID THAT I LOOKED FORWARD TO SEEING CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT IN RELATIONS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND THE MAINLAND. I AM GLAD TO SAY THAT WE NOW DO INDEED ENJOY A MORE FAVOURABLE CLIMATE - FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONSTRUCTIVE RELATIONS.
"THE VISIT OF THE PRIME MINISTER, MR JOHN MAJOR, TO CHINÁ AND HONG KONG AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MONTH WAS AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE. OF PARTICULAR SIGNIFICANCE TO HONG KONG WAS THE SIGNATURE OF THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON THE NEW AIRPORT. ACHIEVED AFTER LENGTHY DISCUSSIONS, THAT AGREEMENT WILL ENABLE US то GO AHEAD CONFIDENTLY WITH THIS AMBITIOUS PROJECT, WHICH IS OF VITAL IMPORTANCE FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE DEVELOPMENT. ALSO IMPORTANT, AND VERY WELCOME, WAS THE AGREEMENT TO SPEED UP THE WORK OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP. AM GLAD THAT THE MEETING JUST CONCLUDED IN LONDON WAS A SUCCESSFUL ONE.
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"OUR BILATERAL ECONOMIC AND TRADE RELATIONSHIP HAS CONTINUED TO PROSPER OVER THE PAST YEAR. TWO WAY TRADE IN 1990 INCREASED BY 15 PER CENT OVER 1989. AND UP TO JULY THIS YEAR, IT FURTHER INCREASED PER CENT OVER THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR. THIS IS VERY ENCOURAGING. IT UNDERLINES HONG KONG'S ROLE AS A MAJOR HUB OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY FOR THE REGION AND THE BENEFIT то THIS TERRITORY OF CLOSE ECONOMIC RELATIONS WITH OUR NEIGHBOURING PROVINCES.
"I ATTACH GREAT IMPORTANCE TO BUILDING UP CONTACTS WITH THE MAINLAND. THROUGH CONTACT COMES UNDERSTANDING. ABOUT 100 HONG KONG GOVERNMENT DELEGATIONS HAVE VISITED CHINA SO FAR THIS YEAR. I SHOULD LIKE TO SEE SUCH CONTACTS, IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, DEVELOP FURTHER.
"MAY
I NOW PROPOSE A TOAST TO THE HEALTH OF THE THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA."
PRESIDENT OF
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