XN000022-1978-09-24 — Page 2

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1978

WORLD EXPERTS LEARN OF

HONG KONG'S NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT

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EXPERTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WILL GATHER IN ATHENS THIS WEEK TO HEAR OF HONG KONG'S EFFORTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TOWNS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

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IN ATHENS, GREECE A CITY OF THE COLISEUM AND CENTURIES-OLD CIVILISATIONS HONG KONG'S SHA TIN, TSUEN WAN AND TUEN MUN NEW TOWNS WILL UNDOUBTEDLY PROVOKE MUCH INTEREST.

THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT'S DIRECTOR OF NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT, MR. JOHN DON, WILL BE GIVING DETAILS OF THE GOVERNMENT'S NEW TOWN PROGRAMME, AND WITH COLOUR TRANSPARENCIES WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING OUR ACHIEVEMENTS.

THE ATHENS SEMINAR OF THE INTERNATIONAL NEW TOWNS ASSOCIATION ON +FLEXIBILITY IN NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT+ STARTS TODAY (SUNDAY) AND ENDS ON SEPTEMBER 29.

BEFORE HIS DEPARTURE FROM HONG KONG THIS EVENING MR. DON SAID: +THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT OTHER COUNTRIES WILL BE GREATLY INTERESTED IN WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY DONE IN THIS FIELD, AND WHAT OUR ASPIRATIONS ARE FOR THE FUTURE.

+ IN A NUMBER OF WAYS HONG KONG'S SITUATION IS UNIQUE- WE HAVE HAD UNIQUE PROBLEMS AND UNIQUE SOLUTION.+

MR. DON SAID HE WOULD TAKE THE ATHENS OPPORTUNITY TO OBTAIN AS MUCH INTERNATIONAL PUBLICITY AS POSSIBLE RELATED TO OUR NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT.

+ IN THIS CONTEXT, I WILL BE ARRANGING A SERIES OF ARTICLES ON HONG KONG'S NEW TOWNS IN THE INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF THE ASSOCIATION, HE SAID,

MORE THAN 20 COUNTRIES WILL BE REPRESENTED AT THE SEMINAR, INCLUDING BRITAIN, FRANCE, HOLLAND, SWEDEN, SWITZERLAND, UNITED STATES, JAPAN AUSTRALIA, AND OTHER COUNTRIES IN EASTERN EUROPE, THE MIDDLE AND FAR EAST, AND THE AMERICAN AND AFRICAN CONTINENTS.

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MR. DON SAID THAT WHILE THE REST OF THE WORLD WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM HONG KONG'S ACHIEVEMENTS, THE SEMINAR ALSO AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY FOR HONG KONG TO LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHERS.

+THERE WILL BE AN EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AND VIEWS AND WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE TO BE INVOLVED, HE SAID.

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