XN000022-1980-02-12 — Page 3

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1980

MTRC LUNCH

HRH PRINCESS ALEXANDRA TODAY (TUESDAY) PRAISED THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG FOR THEIR ABILITY TO FIND WAYS OF OVERCOMING WHAT AT FIRST APPEAR TO BE INSUPERABLE DIFFICULTIES, COUPLED WITH STEADFASTNESS AND PERSERVERANCE.+

SPEAKING AT A LUNCH OF MTRC IN THE GRAND BALLROOM OF HILTON HOTEL AFTER THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY THIS MORNING THE PRINCESS SAID:+IT IS A STRIKING TRIBUTE TO HONG KONG THAT THESE QUALITIES OF DEPENDABILITY ENCOURAGED MANY OF THE LARGEST COMPANIES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO PARTICIPATE IN CREATING THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY.+

SHE SAID IN HONG KONG PEOPLE OF MANY RACES MEET AND WORK AND PROSPER TOGETHER IN HARMONY WITH THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. IT IS APPROPRIATE THAT THIS LATEST AND BIGGEST PROJECT SHOULD BE THE PRODUCT OF MATERIALS AND SKILLS FROM CHINA AS WELL AS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

+NATURALLY I AM DELIGHTED THAT BRITISH FIRMS HAVE PLAYED

A MAJOR ROLE, IN WORKING FOR HONG KONG, THEY WORK TOO FOR THE GOOD UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN CHINA, THE UNITED KINGDOM AND HONG KONG WHICH WE VALUE SO MUCH, THE PRINCESS SAID.

FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE SPEECH BY HRH PRINCESS ALEXANDRA AT THE MTRC LUNCH:

+HONG KONG IS ALWAYS A STIMULATING PLACE TO VISIT AND THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL OCCASION. OF ALL THE MASSIVE ENGINEERING PROJECTS THAT HAVE GONE INTO THE BUILDING OF THIS GREAT CITY, THE NEW RAILWAY IS THE BIGGEST AND BOLDEST AND MOST COMPLEX, AND THE ONE THAT HAS ATTRACTED MOST INTERNATIONAL INTEREST. THIS MORNING'S CEREMONY AT WHICH IT WAS OFFICIALLY OPENED MARKED A MILESTONE IN YOUR HISTORY, AND I WAS DELIGHTED TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL THAT MOMENT OF PRIDE.

+ THE INCREDIBLE SPEED WITH WHICH THIS MAMMOTH ENTERPRISE HAS BEEN COMPLETED IS INDEED A TRIBUTE TO YOU, MR THOMPSON, TO THE BOARD, STAFF AND CONSULTANTS OF THE CORPORATION, AND TO ALL THE CONTRACTORS AND THEIR HARD-WORKING AND INTREPID WORK FORCE. BUT INSPITE OF YOUR EFFORTS I WARN YOU THAT WHAT PEOPLE WILL SAY IS SIMPLY IT COULD ONLY HAVE HAPPENED IN HONG KONG+.

+IN A PROJECT OF THIS SIZE IT WAS INEVITABLE THAT MANY SUFFERED FROM DUST, NOISE AND DISRUPTION AND THAT SOME EVEN HAD TO MOVE THEIR HOMES AND SHOPS. THEY SUFFERED WITH GREAT FORBEARANCE.

I PRAY THAT THEY WILL NOW REAP THE IR REWARD. HONG KONG CAN MOST CERTAINLY BE PROUD OF ITS RAILWAY, AND I AM SURE IT WILL BRING GREAT ADVANTAGES TO YOU ALL.

/+IM WILL