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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1992
THE VALUE OF OUR TOTAL FOREIGN TRADE WILL BE US$548 BILLION, EQUIVALENT TO THE TOTAL EXTERNAL TRADE OF FRANCE TODAY, AND SUBSTANTIALLY MORE THAN THAT OF ITALY AND THE NETHERLANDS;
WE
WILL BE SPENDING AT TODAY'S PRICES $22 BILLION A YEAR EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN, $9.4 BILLION A YEAR HELPING THE DEPRIVED, DISABLED AND DISADVANTAGED, $15.3 BILLION A YEAR PROMOTING OUR HEALTH AND TREATING DISEASE, AND $1.4 BILLION A YEAR PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT;
WE
-
ASIA'S
SHOULD IF THE WILL IS THERE HAVE CONSTRUCTED MOST MODERN AIRPORT, WITH A CAPACITY ON OPENING OF 35 MILLION PASSENGERS A YEAR AND THE POTENTIAL FOR EXPANSION TO A CAPACITY OF 87 MILLION PASSENGERS A YEAR; AND
WE WILL HAVE ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST CONTAINER PORTS, WITH A CAPACITY OF 9.2 MILLION CONTAINERS.
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THE GOVERNOR ALSO SAID WE WOULD BE A COMMUNITY IN WHICH:
ALMOST 6 OUT OF 10 FAMILIES OWN THEIR OWN HOMES;
ALMOST ONE IN FIVE OF THOSE AGED 17 TO 20 WILL BE STUDYING FOR DEGREES.
"THIS IS WHAT STABILITY AND PROSPERITY ARE ALL ABOUT IN PRACTICAL TERMS.
"THIS IS WHAT
THE HONG KONG WAY OF LIFE IS CAPABLE OF DELIVERING, GIVEN MUTUAL TRUST AND CO-OPERATION FROM ALL THE PARTIES CONCERNED, HE SAID.
.PT
MR PATTEN SAID WE ALL RECOGNISED THE TROUBLED LEGACY OF HISTORY AND WE MUST MOVE BEYOND THE MISUNDERSTANDINGS INHERITED FROM THE PAST.
ON HIS VISIT TO PEKING LATER THIS MONTH, THE GOVERNOR SAID HIS GOAL THERE WOULD BE TO PUSH FORWARD THE PROCESS OF TRUST.
HE SAID THIS RELATIONSHIP MUST BE BASED ON FRANK DISCUSSIONS OF MUTUAL DIFFICULTIES IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE SOLUTIONS WHICH REFLECTED OUR COMMON GOALS.
"I AM CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN DO 30 BECAUSE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS SHOWN A FIRM COMMITMENT TO PRESERVING HONG KONG AS A UNIQUE COMMUNITY, A COMMUNITY WITH MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS STILL TO MAKE TO CHINA'S OWN DEVELOPMENT, AT THE SAME TIME AS IT PROVIDES AN ATTRACTIVE FUTURE FOR ITS OWN PEOPLE, HE SAID.
DETAILED DISCUSSIONS
THE GOVERNOR SAID HE WOULD BE HOLDING THERE ABOUT SOME OF THE MAJOR ISSUES WHICH WOULD DETERMINE THE TERRITORY'S FUTURE, INCLUDING OUR PROPOSALS FOR THE ARRANGEMENTS AND THE BEST WAY TO SETTLE DIFFERENCES OF FINANCING THE NEW AIRPORT.
1995 ELECTION OPINION OVER
/AT THE