XN000022-1987-05-30 — Page 11

H.E.: THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND GOOD AFTERNOON. IT IS NICE TO SEE THAT THERE IS A WORLD BEYOND THE CAMERAS AND TO SEE ALL OF YOU, I HAVE NOW BEEN IN HONG KONG FOR SOME SEVEN WEEKS, EXACTLY SEVEN WEEKS YESTERDAY, PERHAPS I COULD START JUST BY SHARING VERY BRIEFLY WITH YOU, SOME OF MY INITIAL IMPRESSIONS.

THE FIRST ONE IS SOMETHING WHICH STRIKES ANYBODY COMING BACK TO HONG KONG EVEN AFTER A VERY SHORT TIME AWAY AND THAT IS, THE ENORMOUS VITALITY OF THE PLACE. ONE SEES IT ALL AROUND, IN BUILDING AND IN PLANNING, FOR THE MEDIUM AND FOR THE LONG-TERM FUTURE, NOW I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO SEE, FOR MYSELF, AS MUCH AS I CAN IN A SHORT TIME, OF THAT PLANNING AND THAT WORK.

! HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THE POSITIVE THINGS WHICH HAVE BEEN DONE,

I'VE ALSO BEEN LOOKING AT SOME OF THE THINGS WHICH STILL HAVE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM.

IT IS VERY STRIKING, I THINK, THAT HONG KONG HAS MADE ENORMOUS PROGRESS OVER THE LAST DECADE, PARTICULARLY IN TERMS OF QUANTITY OF WHAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED. IF YOU LOOK AT THE HOUSING PROGRAMME, TRANSPORT PROGRAMME, MEDICAL CARE, ALL OF THESE THINGS ENORMOUSLY STRIDE OVER THE LAST DECADE.

BUT I AM ALSO CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT, AFTER MY SEVEN WEEKS HERE. THAT THERE ARE RISING ASPIRATIONS AMONGST PEOPLE HERE. PERHAPS ONE COULD LOOK AT THIS IN TERMS OF A SEARCH FOR IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY, TO MATCH THE IMPROVEMENTS IN QUANTITY WHICH HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THE LAST DECADE.

THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF AREAS WHERE MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE. ONE THINKS OF THE QUALITY OF HOUSING, ONE THINKS OF THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION, THE MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH CARE, AND THE ENVIRONMENT WHERE THE RAPIDITY OF DEVELOPMENT HAS CREATED ITS OWN PROBLEMS. SO MUCH HAS BEEN DONE BUT THERE IS A GREAT DEAL STILL TO BE DONE.

THE OTHER POINT WHICH STRIKES ME IS THAT YOU CAN ONLY DO WITH THESE THINGS, YOU CAN ONLY IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IF YOU HAVE A SOUND ECONOMIC FOUNDATION. A PROSPEROUS ECONOMY IS THE KEYSTONE

TO ANYTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE.

AT THE MOMENT, OUR ECONOMY IS DOING VERY WELL BUT THIS FACT MEANS THAT THE GOVERNMENT MUST CONTINUE TO PAY ATTENTION TO ENSURING THAT OUR ECONOMY REMAINS DYNAMIC AND THAT ENTERPRISE IS REWARDED.

/ONE LAST