XN000022-1977-08-26 — Page 4

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 1977

GOVERNOR INAUGURATES OLUHO SUBMARINE CABLE SYSTEM

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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, SAID THE OLUHO CABLE,

GREATLY WHICH STRADDLES THE WESTERN PACIFIC AND SOUTHEAST ASIA, EXPANDS THE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM WITHIN AND WITHOUT THE AREA, AND WOULD HELP ALL TO PROSPER.

SIR MURRAY WAS SPEAKING TO PRESIDENT MARCOS OF THE PHILIPPINES AND PRIME MINISTER FUKUDA OF JAPAN WHEN HE INAUGURATED THE HONG KONG END OF THE CABLE LINK AT THE FURAMA HOTEL TODAY.

SIR MURRAY SAID THAT HONG KONG HAD INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL IMPORTANCE, AND GENERATED A NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS, OUT OF ALL PROPORTION TO ITS SIZE, AND AS THE SOUTHWEST TERMINAL OF THE CABLE WOULD BE A MAJOR BENEFICIARY OF IT.

+WE, THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, ARE PROUD TO BE JOINED WITH SUCH IMPORTANT CENTRES AS THE PHILIPPINES AND JAPAN IN THIS NEW OLUHO CABLE LINK, AND WE WISH THEM ADDED PROSPERITY FROM IT.+

THE FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF SIR MURRAY'S SPEECH:

+I THANK YOUR EXCELLENCIES (PRESIDENT MARCOS, PRIME MINISTER FUKUDA) FOR YOUR GREETINGS TO THE ASSEMBLY HERE AND ON BEHALF OF HONG KONG I EXTEND OUR GOOD WISHES TO EVERYONE PARTICIPATING IN THE INAUGURATION OF THE OLUHO SUBMARINE CABLE SYSTEM.

+ITS CONSTRUCTION IS A MAJOR ACHIEVEMENT - BY THE THREE COMPANIES CONCERNED, JAPANESE, PHILIPPINE AND BRITISH, AND BY THE IR MANAGERS, ENGINEERS, ECONOMISTS, TECHNICIANS AND SEAMEN. WE ARE HERE TO HONOUR AND APPLAUD AN OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT OF MULTI-NATIONAL CO-OPERATION.

+THE CABLE STRADDLES THE WESTERN PACIFIC AND SOUTHEAST ASIA, AN AREA WITH ONE OF THE FASTEST ECONOMIC GROWTH RATES IN THE WORLD. TO CONTINUE TO GROW IT MUST HAVE A FIRST-CLASS AND WORLD-WIDE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM.

+ THE OLUHO CABLE GREATLY EXPANDS THE SYSTEM WITHIN AND WITHOUT THE AREA, AND WILL HELP ALL OF US TO PROSPER.

+HONG KONG HAS AN INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL IMPORTANCE, AND GENERATES A NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS, OUT OF ALL PROPORTION TO ITS SIZE, AND AS THE SOUTHWEST TERMINAL OF THE CABLE WILL BE A MAJOR BENEFICIARY OF IT. AT THE SAME TIME THE EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH STANDARD OF COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT INSTALLED IN HONG KONG BY THE CABLE AND WIRELESS COMPANY WILL BENEFIT ALL USING THE CABLE.

+WE, THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, ARE PROUD TO BE JOINED WITH SUCH IMPORTANT CENTRES AS THE PHILIPPINES AND JAPAN IN THIS NEW OLUHO CABLE LINK, AND WE WISH THEM ADDED PROSPERITY FROM IT.+