XN000022-1986-02-20 — Page 3

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1986

IN THE YEAR FOLLOWING THE SIGNING OF THE SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENT, HONG KONG +SEEMS BIGGER, MORE MODERN, MORE BUSTLING THAN EVER, SIR DAVID SAID.

THE FACTS WERE THAT HONG KONG HAD MADE A POSITIVE BEGINNING IN THE IMPORTANT STEPS TO BE TAKEN OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS TO TRANSFORM FROM ITS PRESENT STATUS INTO A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, 11 YEARS FROM NOW, IN 1997, SIR DAVID SAID.

THE GOVERNMENT'S PLANS FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WERE LONG TERM. +THE AGREEMENT PROVIDES FOR FIFTY YEARS AFTER 1997 AND THIS LONG-TERM VIEW HAS ALSO BEEN REFLECTED IN THE ACTIVITIES AND INVESTMENT BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR,+ HE SAID.

REFERRING TO THE WORK OF THE TWO HK-U.S. COMMITTEES, SIR DAVID SAID HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT WITH THEIR EXPERT KNOWLEDGE AND THE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION, THEY WOULD RENEW THE IR DETERMINATION TO RESIST +THOSE FORCES AT WORK TO RESTRICT TRADE, AND TO DAMAGE AND TO CHECK, NOT ONLY THE STRENGTHENING ECONOMIC TIES, BUT THE WARMTH OF UNDERSTANDING AND HUMAN FELLOWSHIP WHICH FLOW FROM THESE CONTACTS AND WHICH MUST IN THE END BE A VITAL CONTRIBUTOR TO PEACE AND UNDERSTANDING.+

SIR DAVID IS ON A SEVEN-DAY PROMOTIONAL TOUR OF NORTH AMERICA, AS GUEST OF HONOUR WITH A TOP-LEVEL, 10-MEMBER HONG KONG TRÅDE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL ECONOMIC AND TRADE DELEGATION.

HK DEVELOPING HIGHEST PRODUCT, SERVICE STANDARDS'

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HONG KONG NOW BELIEVES THAT IT SHOULD BE A LEADER AND IS DEVELOPING THE HIGHEST STANDARDS BOTH IN SERVICES AND IN PRODUCTS, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, DESIGNATE, MR PIERS JACOBS, SAID THIS (THURSDAY) EVENING.

SPEAKING AT THE SPRING DINNER HOSTED BY THE FEDERATION OF HONG KONG INDUSTRIES, MR JACOBS SAID THAT HONG KONG WAS NOT PREPARED TO MAKE DO WITH SECOND BEST,

HE ATTRIBUTED THIS PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE TO THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS AND ENERGY OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, AND AN ADMINISTRATION WHICH RECOGNISED THAT ITS PRIMARY TASK WAS TO PROVIDE THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT FOR COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE.

+TO MAINTAIN OUR EXPORT PERFORMANCE WE HAVE HAD TO MOVE UP MARKET AND INTO THE PROVISION OF SERVICES AS WELL AS GOODS.

+THIS TREND IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE IN THE YEARS AHEAD AND TO ENSURE THAT WE DO NOT STAND STILL, WE MUST BE SURE THAT OUR LABOUR FORCE HAS THE REQUISITE LEVEL OF SKILLS AND ABILITY TO ABSORB AND TO USE TECHNOLOGY, HE SAID.

/THE VOCATIONAL