XN000022-1985-01-10 — Page 11

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1985

THE SUCCESS STORY OF HONG KONG TO-DATE WAS THE RESULT OF A COMBINATION OF MANY FACTORS, YET IT MUST BE RIGHT TO SAY THAT ONE OF THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS LAY IN THE PRAGMATIC ATTITUDE THAT HK PEOPLE HAD ADOPTED THROUGHOUT THEIR STRUGGLE' FOR PROGRESS.

IDEALISM NEVER SEEMED TO BE PART OF SOCIETY AND IDEALISM WOULD BE HIGHLY UNLIKELY TO BECOME THE CORNER STONE OF HONG KONG'S FUTURE.

INDEED, THE ONLY HOPE OF SURVIVAL AND FUTURE PROGRESS LAY TOTALLY IN CONTINUING TO ADOPT REALISTIC AND PRAGMATIC ATTITUDES IN THE QUEST FOR SOLUTIONS TO FUTURE PROBLEMS.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MORE REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT WAS CERTAINLY NO EXCEPTION.

WITH REGARD TO THE PACE OF CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES, MR CHEONG SAID THE PROPOSALS IN THE WHITE PAPER WERE JUST ABOUT RIGHT.

HE SAID IT WOULD BE FUTILE TO PUSH AND SHOVE FOR DRASTIC CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES WITHOUT AT LEAST REACHING SOME SORT OF UNDERSTANDING WITH CHINA.

+THUS, BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER IN 1987, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT RAPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING IS DEVELOPED WITH CHINA.

+OTHERWISE, WHATEVER CHANGES ARE SO UNDERTAKEN MAY WELL PROVE TO BE INEFFECTIVE TOWARDS ACHIEVING THE DESIRED OBJECTIVE OF MAINTAINING LONG TERM STABILITY AND PROSPERITY IN HONG KONG,+ MR CHEONG SAID.

LEGCO SEAT URGED FOR HEUNG YEE KUK

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A STRONG CALL FOR THE HEUNG YEE KUK TO BE REPRESENTED ON THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WAS MADE BY THE HON CHEUNG YAN-LUNG TODAY.

SPEAKING ON THE WHITE PAPER, HE EXPRESSED DISMAY THAT THE HEUNG YEE KUK HAD NOT BEEN NOMINATED FOR A SEAT ON THE NEW COUNCIL.

+AS AN INSTITUTION THAT HAS FORMALLY EXISTED FOR ALMOST 60 YEARS, IT IS FIRMLY ROOTED IN A POPULATION THAT IS SPREAD OVER 92 PER CENT OF THE TERRITORY AND HAS LONG REPRESENTED THE RURAL COMMUNITY OF THAT AREA, + HE SAID.

+THE POPULATION IT SERVES TODAY IS SOME HALF A MILLION PEOPLE WHICH, ACCORDING TO THE WHITE PAPER, SHOULD FORM A SINGLE DISTRICT, NOMINATING THEM FOR A SEAT ON THE NEW COUNCIL,

/+SINCE, HOWEVER,