XN000022-1983-07-21 — Page 5

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 1983

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IN THAT STATEMENT, HE EXPRESSED HONG KONG'S CONCERN ABOUT THE UNPRECEDENTEDLY LARGE NUMBER OF ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE USA THIS YEAR TO LIMIT ITS IMPORTS OF TEXTILES AND CLOTHING FROM HONG KONG, AND THE INADEQUACY OF JUSTIFICATION FOR RESTRAINT UNDEP THE CRITERIA OF THE MFA IN FOUR OF THE TEN CASES INVOLVED.

WHILE HE DID NOT REQUEST THE TSB TO TAKE ANY SPECIFIC ACTION AT THIS STAGE. MR CARTLAND RESERVED HONG KONG'S RIGHT TO REFER DETAILS OF SOME OR ALL OF THE EA CALLS TO THE TSB AT SOME FUTURE DATE.

CHANGE OF PACE FOR HOME AFFAIRS CHIEF ****

THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, WENT ON A WALKING TOUR OF WAN CHAI THIS (THURSDAY) EVENING, IN A CHANGE OF PACE FROM HIS REGULAR VISITS TO VARIOUS PARTS OF HONG KONG TO KEEP HIMSELF UP TO DATE.

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DURING A TWO-HOUR WALKABOUT, MR AKERS-JONES SAW THE CONTRASTING SCENES OF WAN CHAI BY NIGHT - FROM THE BUSY, GLITTERING SHOPPING AND ENTERTAINMENT AREAS TO THE RELAXED ATMOSPHERE OF THE OPEN-AIR SITTING-OUT AREAS OF QUIET CHESS GAMES AND CASUAL SOCIAL CHIT CHAT.

ACCOMPANYING HIM WERE THE DEPUTY REGIONAL SECRETARY FOR HONG KONG AND KOWLOON, MR ALBERT LAM, THE DISTRICT OFFICER FOR CENTRAL AND WESTERN/WAN CHAI, MISS LOLLY CHIU, AND ASSISTANT DISTRICT OFFICERS, MR FRANCIS HO AND MR FRANK YUE.

THE PARTY SET OFF AT 8 PM FROM GREAT GEORGE'S STREET AND PATERSON STREET THE HEART OF CAUSEWAY BAY'S EATING OUT AND ENTERTAINMENT AREA PASSING THROUGH FOOD STREET WITH ITS RICH VARIETY OF CUISINES.

THEY TOURED THE OLDER AND LESS GLAMOROUS ENTERTAINMENT AREA ALONG JAFFE ROAD DOTTED WITH DANCE HALLS, MAHJONG PARLOURS, VIDEO GAMES CENTRES AND ITINERANT HAWKERS.

MR AKERS-JONES, WHO AS SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS HAS POLICY RESPONSIBILITY FOR VIDEO GAMES CENTRES, ENTERED ONE OF THEM TO OBSERVE ACTIVITIES THERE.

VIDEO GAMES ARE A POPULAR ATTRACTION WITH THE YOUNG AND THE LICENSING CONDITIONS OF SUCH CENTRES HAVE BEEN THE SUBJECT OF MUCH DISCUSSION BY THE DISTRICT BOARDS.

ON THE WAY TO SOUTHORN PLAYGROUND, MR AKERS-JONES WAS BRIEFED ON THE CONSTRUCTION WORKS FOR THE MTR ISLAND LINE AT PERCIVAL STREET AND THE EFFECT ON TRAFFIC IN THE AREA.

AT SOUTHORN PLAYGROUND, HE SAW THE MORE SEDATE SIDE OF WAN CHAI'S NIGHT LIFE WITH YOUNGSTERS ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN SOCCER AND BASKETBALL MATCHES, WHILE THEIR ELDERS PASSED TIME ON QUIET CHESS GAMES OR CASUAL SOCIAL CHATS.