XN000022-1982-08-03 — Page 3

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1982

+OUR TRADE SO FAR THIS YEAR HAS BEEN LESS SATISFACTORY COMPARED WITH PAST YEARS, BUT THE PROSPECTS ARE PROMISING. THE ECONOMY OF OUR MAJOR MARKETS WILL SURELY REVIVE, ALTHOUGH NOBODY CAN TELL WHEN. WHAT IS CERTAIN IS THAT WHEN IT DOES COME, HONG KONG WILL MAKE THE BEST OF IT, HE SAID.

+ IF THEREFORE WE EXAMINE OUR EXPORT PERFORMANCE OVER

A PERIOD, SAY 1980 TO 1985, AND PROVIDED THE WORLD ECONOMY RECOVERS BY, SAY, THE BEGINNING OF 1983, WE ARE MORE THAN LIKELY TO CONCLUDE, AT THE END OF 1985, THAT HONG KONG HAS DONE REMARKABLY WELL, AGAIN,

+LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WHEN OTHER MARKETS RECOVER FROM RECESSION, HONG KONG WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GREATLY INCREASE OUR TRADE, SUCH AS WE DID IN 1974 AND 1975. I AM CONFIDENT THAT HONG KONG HAS THE ABILITY TO DO IT, AP TSAO.

CONCLUDED

IMPORTANCE OF CORRECT TIMING STRESSED ****

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CORRECT TIMING IN SUPPLYING INFORMATION TO AND SEEKING ADVICE FROM DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS WAS STRESSED TODAY (TUESDAY) BY THE DEPUTY REGIONAL SECRETARY FOR HONG KONG AND KOWLOON, MR DAVID TSUI.

HE SAID THE DISTRICT BOARD CHAIRMEN SHOULD ON ONE HAND, AVOID PRESENTING A FAIT ACCOMPLI+ WHERE THERE WOULD BE LITTLE ROOM FOR CONSULTATION AND, ON THE OTHER HAND, AVOID PRESENTING A HALF-BAKED+ PROPOSAL TO THE BOARD.

HOWEVER, HE FELT THAT, IF GIVEN TIME AND EXPERIENCE, A RIGHT BALANCE COULD BE STRUCK BETWEEN THE TWO EXTREMES WHICH WOULD SATISFY DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS, DEPARTMENTAL REPRESENTATIVES AND YET WITHOUT INJURING THE PUBLIC'S INTERESTS.

IN A LUNCHEON SPEECH TO THE LIONS CLUB OF BEACON HILL, HE OUTLINED THE GENERAL GUIDING PRINCIPLE ON THE EXTENT OF INFORMATION THAT SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO BOARD MEMBERS.

MR TSUI SAID THE FOLLOWING FACTORS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED, NAMELY: THE PUBLIC'S INTERESTS, THE PRINCIPLE OF SUB JUDICE, THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF DISTRICT BOARDS AND THE FACT THAT THE APPOINTMENT OF DB MEMBERS WAS BEING MADE BY THE GOVERNOR AND THUS THE IMPORTANCE ATTACHED TO THE BOARDS.

I

AS AN EXAMPLE, HE SAID THAT IF A CERTAIN AREA WAS UNDER PRELIMINA Y CONSIDERATION FOR URBAN RE-DEVELOPMENT - WOULD NOT BE APPROPIATE OR AT THE PUBLIC INTERESTS FOR THE INFORMATION AT THAT STAGE TO BECOME PUBLIC INFORMATION. IT MIGHT ENCOURAGE SPECULATIONS AND NSTILL A TENSE OF UNEASINESS AMONG THE RESIDENTS, BECAUSE IN THE EN THE PROJECT MIGHT NOT 30 FORWARD.