XN000022-1985-03-07 — Page 3

THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 1985

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I DON'T FIND IT SURPRISING THAT THE NUMBER WHO VOTE IS LESS THAN THE NUMBER WHO REGISTER. AND IN ADDITION, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE DAY FIND THEY HAVE OTHER THINGS TO DO AND ALL SORTS OF EXCUSES.+

ASKED HOW GOVERNMENT COULD INCREASE VOTER AWARENESS AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING FORWARD AS CANDIDATES, SIR PHILIP SAID THIS WAS AN INCREMENTAL PROCESS AND THAT ONE COULD NOT EXPECT GREAT LEAPS FORWARD.

+PROVIDED THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VOTERS WHO TURN OUT THIS TIME AND THE PROPORTION OF THE ELECTORATE THAT TURNS OUT HAS INCREASED THAT IS IT HAS INCREASED IN BOTH SENSES THEN WE HAVE MADE PROGRESS, HE SAID.

+WHETHER YOU REGARD THE PROGRESS AS SATISFACTORY OR OTHERWISE IS A MATTER OF OPINION,

+I DON'T THINK ONE CAN POSSIBLY SAY IT'S BEEN A FAILURE, AT LEAST AT THIS STAGE, BUT WHETHER THE RESULTS ARE THOUGHT TO BE, BY SOME PEOPLE, DISAPPOINTING, OR NOT, THAT IS A MATTER OF OPINION.+

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION ON WHY GOVERNMENT WAS AGAINST A VOTE OF CONFIDENCE FOR CANDIDATES WHO WERE BEING RETURNED UNOPPOSED, SIR PHILIP SAID THIS SEEMED TO HIM A POINTLESS EXERCISE AND WOULD BE A UNIQUE PROCEDURE COMPARED WITH PROCEDURES ELSEWHERE.

A CANDIDATE HAD EVERY RIGHT TO BE RETURNED WITHOUT A CONTEST IF THERE WAS NO ONE WILLING TO STAND AGAINST HIM, HE SAID.

HK'S ECONOMY HELPED BY CHINA'S POLICIES ******

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FS

APART FROM THE RECOVERY IN THE U.S. ECONOMY, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC GROWTH

IN RECENT YEARS HAD BEEN CHINA'S SWITCH TO MORE LIBERAL ECONOMIC POLICIES AND ITS REOPENING TO WORLD TRADE, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, SIR JOHN BREMRIDGE, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

ADDRESSING THE ZONTA CLUB OF KOWLOON LUNCHEON MEETING ON THE SUBJECT OF THE HONG KONG ECONOMY FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS,+ SIR JOHN SAID CHINA HAD BECOME AN EXPANDING MARKET FOR LOCAL PRODUCTS WITH MANY INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS.

+THIS IS IN ADDITION TO ITS MORE ESTABLISHED ROLE AS AN IMPORTANT SUPPLIER OF GOODS AND AN INVESTOR IN VARIOUS LOCAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES,+ SIR JOHN SAID.

/HE

HE SAID .******