THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1994
FLOURISHING
MORE BROADLY, I AM GLAD THAT THE
CROSS-BORDER RELATIONSHIP IS CONTRIBUTING SO MUCH NOT ONLY TO HONG KONG BUT ALSO TO OUR NEIGHBOURS IN GUANGDONG. I AM SURE WE WILL NEED TO DO OUR BEST TO BUT ANSWER OTHER QUESTIONS WHICH WILL ONLY BECOME APPARENT LATER ON. WHATEVER THE ISSUE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK NIGHT AND DAY TO AGREEMENT WHEREVER IT IS IN THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG.
IN
THE WHEN
END, WHEN THE 28TH GOVERNOR OF HONG
ACHIEVE
IS
LONG
SPECIAL THAT
HAVE
KONG
KONG HONG DEPARTED,
THE FIRST CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE REGION HAS COME, AND WHEN SHE OR HE HAS GONE FOR MATTER, IT WILL BE HONG KONG PEOPLE, HERE IN HONG KONG, WHO WILL TO DIGEST THE FRUITS OF OUR LABOUR.
BE
TEN
WILL
JOINT
OF
I AM SOMETIMES INVITED TO PROPHESY WHAT I THINK HONG KONG
SAY,
TWENTY YEARS LIKE,
YEARS FROM NOW,
INTO THE RETROSPECTIVELY! DECLARATION. BUT PROPHECY IS DANGEROUS, UNLESS DONE IT IS ALL TOO EASY TO GET CARRIED AWAY, LIKE THE DIRECTOR GENERAL THE ZAMBIAN NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SPACE RESEARCH, WHO IN 1964 REPORTEDLY ON THE PROMISED THE WORLD: "I WILL HAVE MY FIRST ZAMBIAN ASTRONAUT MOON BY 1965". SO LISTEN INSTEAD, AS IT IS ALWAYS WORTH LISTENING, TO OUR SIR KARL POPPER, WHO REMINDS US THAT "WE MAY BECOME THE MAKERS OF FATE WHEN WE HAVE CEASED TO POSE AS ITS PROPHETS.
**
HISTORY TO THE POINT IS, WE CANNOT JUST SIT BACK AND RELY ON SHAPE
HISTORY IS NOT OUR FUTURE. HISTORY DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT.
FORCES BEYOND OUR MADE BY
THE NORTI WIND, NOR BY ANY OTHER REMOTE
ACTIONS CONTROL. TOMORROW'S HISTORY WILL BE THE CHRONICLE OF OUR TODAY. WE WRITE IT OURSELVES, AND BEFORE ITS IMPLACABLE COURT WE BEAR THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT WE WRITE.
SO WE ALL
THE GOVERNMENTS OF BRITAIN AND CHINA, THE HONG KONG SO WE ALL ARE GOVERNMENT AND,
YES, THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG
IF RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DESTINY OF HONG KONG. WE ALL HAVE WORK TO DO.
TO WHAT WE DO IT TOGETHER, AND DO IT WELL, THERE IS ALMOST NO LIMIT
THE ECONOMIC HONG KONG CAN ACHIEVE, POISED AS IT IS ON THE CREST OF WAVE SURGING THROUGH EAST ASIA.
THAT THE
THEM THE
BUT IF THE JOINT DECLARATION MEANS ANYTHING, IT IS ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE NEXT CENTURY WILL, LIKE THOSE OF THIS ONE, BE MADE AND THAT MEANS, HERE IN HONG KONG, BY YOU, THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
DECLARATION DARE I SAY IT, THAT IF THE VALUES ENSHRINED IN THE JOINT ARE TO SURVIVE, THEN HONG KONG PEOPLE WILL NEED TO STAND UP FOR AND TO DEFEND THEM, EVEN THOUGH THAT MAY FROM TIME TO TIME MEAN ODD DISAGREEMENT WITH THE PRESENT SOVEREIGN POWER OR EVEN CONCEIVABLY OVER THE WITH THE FUTURE ONE. FOR MOST OF THE REALLY BIG DECISIONS YEARS HAVE NOT BEEN TAKEN IN GOVERNMENT HOUSE, NOR EVEN IN THE CHAMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. THEY HAVE BEEN TAKEN ON THE STREETS OF HONG IN THE MEETING KONG, IN THE MARKETS AND BOARD ROOMS OF HONG KONG, PLACES OF HONG KONG - AND HERE TOO ON THE CAMPUSES OF HONG KONG. IS WHAT HAS BUILT OUR SKYSCRAPERS, THAT IS WHAT HAS FED OUR AND THAT, IF WE SUCCEED, IS EXACTLY HOW IT WILL REMAIN.
THAT
FAMILIES,
O
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