XN000022-1979-09-27 — Page 4

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1979

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APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES

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THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS HAS APPROVED THE APPOINTMENT OF MR. ROBERT STRONG SUN YUAN-CHUANG AS DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES.

MR. SUN PREVIOUSLY SERVED IN THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT. HE JOINED THE DEPARTMENT IN MARCH 1957 AS AN ASSISTANT PRESS OFFICER. HE WAS PROMOTED TO INFORMATION OFFICER IN JULY 1959, TO SENIOR INFORMATION OFFICER IN APRIL 1963 AND TO PRINCIPAL

INFORMATION OFFICER IN JULY 1965. HE WAS APPOINTED ACTING CHIEF PRESS OFFICER IN 1967 AND IN AUGUST THE SAME YEAR WAS SECONDED TO THE HONG KONG TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL. HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE COUNCIL IN FEBRUARY 1970.

MR. SUN HAS SERVED AS THE COUNCIL'S DEPUTY REPRESENTATIVE AND LATER REPRESENTATIVE IN NORTH AMERICA AND FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS HAS BEEN SENIOR MANAGER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COUNCIL'S PUBLICITY AND PUBLIC RELATIONS BOTH IN HONG KONG AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

MR. SUN WILL TAKE UP THE APPOINTMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF

NEXT YEAR.

CALL FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF OLD PEOPLE

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THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR. THOMAS LEE, TODAY (THURSDAY) CALLED FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORT FOR OLD PEOPLE.

ADDRESSING THE OPENING CEREMONY OF A SOCIAL CENTRE FOR THE ELDERLY RUN BY THE WESTERN DISTRICT WOMEN'S WELFARE CLUB, MR. LEE SAID OLD PEOPLE SHOULD BE HELPED IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY TO FACE AND OVERCOME THE PROBLEM OF OLD AGE.

HE POINTED OUT THAT ELDERLY PEOPLE HAD CONTRIBUTED TO THE SOCIETY AND THEIR FAMILIES DURING THEIR YOUNGER DAYS AND THEY SHOULD NOT BE NEGLECTED.

+WE MUST TRY TO UNDERSTAND AND ACCEPT THEM, AND ENABLE THEM TO LIVE AN ENJOYABLE LIFE AFTER THE MANY YEARS OF HARD WORK,+ HE SAID.

MR. LEE SAID OLD PEOPLE'S PROBLEMS HAD BEEN BROUGHT ABOUT BY A GENERATION GAP, A GRADUAL DISINTEGRATION OF THE TRADITIONAL CHINESE FAMILY CONCEPT, AND AN INCREASING ELDERLY POPULATION.

SOME PEOPLE, HE SAID, MAY FIND IT DIFFICULT TO FACE OLD AGE WHICH IS AN INEVITABLE STAGE OF LIFE, AND WHEN THEY LOOK BACK INTO THE PAST, THEY MAY FEEL DISGRUNTLED.

+A GENERATION GAP ARISES IF THE YOUNGER GENERATION DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE IR FEELING, HE SAID.

MR. LEE PRAISED THE WESTERN DISTRICT WOMEN'S WELFARE CLUB FOR ITS WORK IN THE FIELDS OF CHILD CARE AND SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY.

THE NEW SOCIAL CENTRE FOR THE ELDERLY, IN BRIDGES STREET, CENTRAL, OPENS FIVE DAYS A WEEK PROVIDING RECREATIONAL FACILITIES FOR 100 OLD PEOPLE FROM THE DISTRICT.