XN000022-1988-04-07 — Page 3

No

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 1988

SIR DAVID SAID THAT, ON A WIDER CANVAS, THERE WAS ALSO A TO EXAMINE HONG KONG'S FUTURE ROLE IN THE REGION, BOTH IN THE FEW YEARS AND AFTER 1997.

"NEITHER PLANNING NOR DEVELOPMENT SAKE OF HONG KONG AND ITS PEOPLE WE MUST TERM, HE SAID.

*

SIR DAVID NOTED THAT CHINA'S CONTINUING TO IMPROVE THEIR FACILITIES,

NEED

NEXT

CAN STAND STILL. THINK, PLAN AND ACT

FOR

THE LONG

PEARL RIVER PORTS WERE

"HUANGPU, NOW WELL SERVED BY ROAD AND RAIL, CAN ACCOMMODATE VESSELS UP TO 20,000 TONNES," HE SAID.

"INDUSTRIAL CAPACITY IN GUANGDONG, AND ESPECIALLY IN SHENZHEN, IS BEING EXPANDED.

"THE AUTHORITIES THERE ARE ANXIOUS TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE GOOD PORT FACILITIES TO SERVE THEIR ECONOMY.

"FROM ALL THAT WE SEE OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS, IT IS CLEAR THAT SOUTH CHINA WILL CONTINUE TO GROW IN ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE.

THEREFORE, IT WAS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT THE FACILITIES HONG KONG WOULD REMAIN ATTRACTIVE AND COMPETITIVE, SIR DAVID SAID.

"OUR GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION; OUR TRANSPORT

IN

MAKE

INFRASTRUCTURE; AND OUR EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE, GIVE US A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO HONG KONG NOT ONLY A MAJOR REGIONAL CENTRE FOR SOUTHERN CHINA, A CATALYST FOR DEVELOPMENT IN A REGION WHICH COULD WELL BE ONE OF KEY AREAS OF GROWTH IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD OVER THE NEXT DECADES, HE SAID.

++

TO PROVIDE

BUT

THE FEW

PROPER

TURNING TO THE

COMMITMENT GOVERNMENT'S HOUSING FOR ALL WHO NEEDED IT AND, AT THE SAME TIME, TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO BOTH THE OLDER URBAN AND THE RURAL AREAS, SIR DAVID SAID BOTH OF THESE LAGGED BEHIND THE STANDARDS OF THE NEW TOWNS.

"MANY OF THESE REQUIREMENTS COME TOGETHER IN AND AROUND THE HARBOUR, IN THE SO-CALLED 'METROPOLITAN AREA' WHICH STRETCHES SOME 20 KILOMETRES FROM TSUEN WAN TO CHAI WAN, HE SAID.

"IT IS

PREDOMINANTLY IN THIS AREA, THEREFORE, THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS NOW FOCUSSING ITS ATTENTION

IN A STUDY CALLED 'METROPLAN'.

-

"WORK ON THIS IS NOW WELL UNDER WAY TO SEE WHAT OPPORTUNITIES THERE ARE FOR CHANGES, AND TO PRODUCE A PLAN FOR THE METROPOLITAN AREA."

HE SAID THE * METROPLAN' WOULD GIVE THE FRAMEWORK NEEDED ΤΟ MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS ABOUT HOW TO MANAGE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT SO AS TO REDUCE POPULATION DENSITIES IN OLDER OVER-CROWDED AREAS.

/"THIS WILL.