XN000022-1987-02-19 — Page 4

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1987

ON MULTILATERAL ISSUES, THE TWO SIDES EXCHANGED VIEWS ON PROGRESS OF THE URUGUAY ROUND OF GATT TALKS. MR HO NOTED WITH SATISFACTION THE SIMILAR VIEWS BETWEEN KOREA AND HONG KONG ON MOST ISSUES, AND HOPED THIS WOULD CONTINUE.

POSSIBLE TRADE LEGISLATION IN THE UNITED STATES WAS A MAJOR ISSUE OF CONCERN IN THE TALKS. +I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK KOREA'S ASSESSMENT OF THE SITUATION, AND ALSO BRIEFED MINISTER RHA ON MY IMPRESSIONS OF THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN WASHINGTON, FOLLOWING MY RECENT VISIT THERE,+ MR HO SAID.

IN 1986, THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA WAS HONG KONG'S EIGHTH LARGEST TRADING PARTNER. THOUGH IT RANKED HIGH AS A SUPPLIER OF IMPORTS IT RANKED ONLY 27TH AS A MARKET FOR THE TERRITORY'S DOMESTIC EXPORTS.

CARE FOR THE HOMELESS URGED ****

WE

APART FROM CARING FOR THE ELDERLY MEMBERS OF OUR SOCIETY SHOULD ALSO SPARE SOME THOUGHTS FOR STREET SLEEPERS, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MRS EVELYN DOE, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

OFFICIATING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE PO LEUNG KUK LOK WAH SOCIAL CENTRE FOR THE ELDERLY, MRS DOE NOTED THAT THE UNITED NATIONS HAD DECLARED 1987 AS THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF SHELTER FOR THE HOMELESS+, CALLING FOR GLOBAL ATTENTION TO THIS PROBLEM.

+IN HONG KONG, THE PROBLEM HAS ALSO AROUSED WIDE PUBLIC CONCERN AND ON THE PART OF THE GOVERNMENT, IT HAS ALL ALONG BEEN TRYING TO PROVIDE APPROPRIATE SERVICES TO HELP THESE HOMELESS PEOPLE TO GET ACCOMMODATION, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND OTHER PERSONAL CARE SERVICES,+ SHE SAID.

MRS DOE NOTED THAT AMONG THE 1 333 STREET SLEEPERS SURVEYED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT LAST YEAR, ABOUT 20 PER CENT, OR 268 PEOPLE, WERE ELDERLY PERSONS.

+LIKE OTHER SENIOR CITIZENS, THEY NEED SOCIAL AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND OTHER WELFARE SERVICES AND THEY CAN SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS AND LEAD A BETTER LIFE IF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC CARE ABOUT AND ACCEPT THEM, SHE SAID.

MRS DOE NOTED THAT THE LOK WAH CENTRE WAS THE FIRST SUCH OPERATED BY PO LEUNG KUK AND THAT THE KUK WAS PLANNING A MULTI-SERVICES CENTRE FOR THE ELDERLY IN WONG CHUK HANG.

/MOREOVER, THE