XN000022-1987-11-04 — Page 26

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1987

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"UNFORTUNATELY, WHILE OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM IS EVOLVING IN A PERIOD OF SOME UNCERTAINTY, THERE IS A MARKED TENDENCY ON THE PART OF SOME PUBLIC FIGURES то BOMBARD THE ADMINISTRATION WITH UNDUE CRITICISMS," MR CHEONG SAID.

"THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY OUR POLICY MAKERS

TAKEN

HAVE FREQUENTLY BEEN UNDER ATTACK UNFAIRLY BY SUBJECTIVE INTERPRETATIONS BASED ON FAR-FETCHED AND SOMETIMES ERRONEOUS ASSUMPTIONS.

MR CHEONG SAID HE ACCEPTED THAT THIS WAS A PHENOMENON HONO KONG MIGHT HAVE TO PUT UP WITH AT THIS JUNCTURE OF ITS POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT. HOWEVER, A NOTE OF CAUTION NEEDED TO BE VOICED, HE ADDED.

"IN MY VIEW, SUCH PRACTICES, IF CARRIED ON FOR TOO LONG, WILL TEND TO BE UNSETTLING FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

"IT MAY ALSO BREED DISTRUST AND FRUSTRATION THAT WOULD HAVE A DAMAGING EFFECT ON THE MORALE AND EFFICIENCY OF OUR ABLE

ADMINISTRATORS.

THE

"OVER THE NEXT DECADE, IF WE ARE TO SUCCEED IN ACHIEVING TWIN GOALS OF STABILITY AND PROSPERITY, THE MORALE AND THE EFFICIENCY OF OUR CIVIL SERVICE MUST NOT BE DAMAGED IRRETRIEVABLY."

MR CHEONG SAID HONG KONG NEEDED AN EFFICIENT ADMINISTRATION, BACKED UP BY A BUSINESSLIKE LEGCO, TO IMPLEMENT POLICIES WITH PRAGMATISM, CONVICTION, AND WITH A SENSE OF CONTINUITY.

"IT IS WITH THIS IN MIND THAT I WOULD SINCERELY URGE BOTH OUR POLITICIANS AND ADMINISTRATORS TO TAKE CAUTION. WE HAVE ACHIEVED REASONABLE PROSPERITY BUT WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO TO ACHIEVE LONG-TERM STABILITY,'

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ΤΟ THE WITH

HE SAID PETTY POSTURING COULD BECOME AN OBSTACLED ACHIEVEMENT OF DESIRED COMMON OBJECTIVES. "WE MUST WORK TOGETHER MUTUAL TRUST AND PRAGMATISM IN TACKLING ALL THE IMPORTANT ISSUES BEFORE US."

TURNING TO OBSERVATIONS ON SPECIFIC ISSUES, MR CHEONG SAID CONTINUED HEALTH OF THE ECONOMY WAS THE KEY TO OUR FUTURE SUCCESS.

THE

"INDEED, IF THE HEALTH OF OUR ECONOMY WERE TO BE JEOPARDISED, ALL THE RHETORIC IN THE WORLD WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SATISFY THE REAL NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF OUR CITIZENS," HE SAID.

HE ADDED THAT THE EVENTS WHICH HAD UNFOLDED OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS HAD CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED HOW VULNERABLE HONG KONG COULD BE TO EXTERNAL FACTORS.

COMPONENTS

"OF THE PILLARS UNDERPINNING OUR ECONOMY, TWO MAJOR NAMELY, THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES AND THE FINANCIAL SERVICES ARE ALMOST ENTIRELY ORIENTED TOWARDS EXTERNAL DEMAND."

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MR CHEONG SAID THESE SECTORS COLLECTIVELY PROVIDED THE BULK JOB OPPORTUNITIES TO THE WORKFORCE AND IF HONG KONG WAS TO ACHIEVE LONG-TERM STABILITY IT COULD NOT ALLOW THESE VITAL COMPONENTS OF THE ECONOMY TO CONTRACT SUDDENLY.

"IE WAR