XN000022-1981-03-24 — Page 3

TRUESDAY, MARCH 24, 1981

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HONG KONG-CHINA RELATIONS +ENTIRELY SATISFACTORY+

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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA IS NOW ENTIRELY SATISFACTORY AND GREATLY ASSISTED BY THE UNDERSTANDING ATTITUDE OF CHINA AND THE EXCELLENT RELATIONS BETWEEN THAT COUNTRY AND THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE SAID TODAY (TUESDAY),

HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE ASSOCIATION OF COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITIES CONFERENCE OF EXECUTIVE HEADS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG.

HONG KONG'S COMMUNITY, SIR MURRAY SAID, STOOD ON THREE LEGS. THE FIRST WAS ITS OWN SELF-RELIANCE, ECONOMİC DYNAMISM AND SOCIAL COHESION- THE SECOND WAS THE SUPPORT OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT- AND THE THIRD WAS A CORRECT RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA.

+ IT IS THESE THREE THINGS THAT THE CONFIDENCE AND GROWTH THAT YOU SEE AROUND YOU IN HONG KONG ARE BASED, HE SAID.

SIR MURRAY WENT ON TO TRACE HONG KONG'S ACHIEVEMENTS IN EDUCATION OVER THE YEARS AND SAID THAT WHILE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES WERE TO BE FURTHER EXPANDED, HONG KONG COULD NOT HOPE TO BE SELF SUFFICIENT IN ALL FIELDS OF EDUCATION.

+NOR DO WE AIM TO BE, SINCE THE EXPERIENCE OF OVERSEAS EDUCATION IS HIGHLY BENEFICIAL. SO, MANY OF OUR STUDENTS WILL CONTINUE TO SEEK HIGHER EDUCATION IN INSTITUTIONS OVERSEAS.

+WE OF COURSE REGRET THE DISCOURAGING EFFECT ON THIS PROCESS OF THE NEW UNIVERSITY FEE STRUCTURE IN THE UK. OBVIOUSLY ITS BUDGETARY PROVISION IS ENTIRELY A MATTER FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT, BUT SINCE WE REGARD THESE TRADITIONAL ACADEMIC LINKS AS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE, WE HOPE THE PRESENT MEASURES WILL BE MODIFIED AS FINANCIAL PRESSURES EASE.

+MEANWHILE, MY GOVERNMENT IS CONSCIOUS OF ITS DUTY TO MAINTAIN OUR STUDENTS' OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION OVERSEAS AND NOT ALLOW THESE LONG STANDING ACADEMIC LINKS TO WITHER BY DEFAULT, SAID SIR MURRAY.

+50, FOR THE TIME BEING, WE WILL TAKE WHATEVER FINANCIAL STEPS ARE NECESSARY TO EASE THE POSITION OF OUR STUDENTS AND KEEP THE OLD TRADITION GOING MEANWHILE.

HE TOLD THE UNIVERSITY EXECUTIVES THAT HONG KONG WAS ALSO PRESSING AHEAD WITH AN AMBITIOUS EXPANSION OF MEDICAL TRAINING.

SIR MURRAY CITED THE OPENING THIS AFTERNOON OF THE PRINCE PHILIP DENTAL HOSPITAL BY HRH THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH AND ADDED THAT A SECOND MEDICAL SCHOOL AT THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY WOULD START PRE-CLINICAL INTAKE IN SEPTEMBER AND AN ASSOCIATED PRINCE OF WALES TEACHING HOSPITAL AT SHA TIN WOULD OPEN IN 1982.

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