XN000022-1985-01-18 — Page 2

FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 1985

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PROCEED CAUTIOUSLY, PEOPLE URGED

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EXPERIENCE SHOWED THE NEED TO PROCEED CAUTIOUSLY AND GRADUALLY FOR HONG KONG TO ENJOY A RELATIVELY STABLE INTERNAL POLITICAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT, THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY.

AT THE ANNUAL SPEECH DAY OF ST. PAUL'S CO-EDUCATIONAL COLLEGE, HE SAID +CERTAINLY WE HAVE TO DEVISE A SYSTEM WHICH WILL PROPERLY REPRESENT THE PEOPLE.

+BUT IT WOULD BE EXPECTING TOO MUCH AT THE START OF THIS NEW YEAR AND THIS NEW CHAPTER IN HONG KONG'S HISTORY IF WE TRIED TO DEFINE IN TOO MUCH DETAIL THE STEPS WHICH WILL NEED TO BE TAKEN IN THE YEARS AHEAD.

+WHEN WE HAVE LIVED THROUGH THESE NEXT ONE OR TWO YEARS THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME WILL BEGIN TO EMERGE FROM THE MISTS OF THE FUTURE.+

MR AKERS-JONES SAID THAT MOST OF HONG KONG'S PEOPLE WOULD LIVE HERE ALL THEIR LIVES AND THERE WAS NO QUESTION OF DEPARTURE.

+THEIR HOMES ARE HERE, THEIR FUTURE IS HERE, AND THEREFORE AS A GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE WE MUST NOT FALTER IN OUR RESOLVE TO CONTINUE TO BUILD A FULL AND HAPPY LIFE FOR OUR PEOPLE, BY USING THE IMAGINATION, ENTERPRISE AND DETERMINATION. +

HE SAID HONG KONG HAS A GUARANTEED AND DISTINCT EXISTENCE UNTIL THE YEAR 2047.

THE PEOPLE CAN NOW TAKE A MUCH MORE POSITIVE HOLD ON THE FUTURE THAN AT ANY TIME IN THE TERRITORY'S HISTORY.

+YET WE MUST NOT ALLOW THIS GREATER CERTAINTY, THIS GREATER ASSURANCE, TO ENDANGER, BY BECOMING OVER-CONFIDENT, WHAT HAS BEEN CREATED DURING THE LONG PERIOD OF UNCERTAINTY, HE SAID.

+FOR THIS IS A PARADOX THAT THE LACK OF CERTAINTY HAS STIMULATED CONCENTRATION ON ESSENTIALS AND PRACTICAL AFFAIRS, AND THIS HAS HELPED CREATE THE PROSPERITY WHICH WE ENJOY TODAY.

+AND, BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO PROCEED CAUTIOUSLY AND BY CONSENSUS, WE HAVE ENJOYED A RELATIVELY STABLE INTERNAL POLITICAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT. +

/MR AKERS-JONES