XN000022-1988-10-20 — Page 12

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1988

INTANGIBLE BENEFITS MUST NOT BE OVERLOOKED

THE "INTANGIBLE" AND "UNQUANTIFIABLE" BENEFITS THAT AN EXPO COULD BRING TO HONG KONG SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED WHEN THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT HONG KONG SHOULD REGISTER 1TS INTEREST IS BEING CONSIDERED.

THE HON STEPHEN CHEONG EMPHASISED THIS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (THURSDAY} IN HIS CLOSING SPEECH IN THE DEBATE ON HIS MOTION THAT HONG KONG REGISTER WITH THE BUREAU INTERNATIONALE DES EXPOSITIONS ITS INTEREST IN HOLDING AN EXPOSITION IN 1997.

MR CHEONG'S MOTION WAS: "THAT THIS COUNCIL URGES THE GOVERNMENT TO GIVE FULL AND SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO THE PROPOSAL ΤΟ REGISTER HONG KONG'S INTEREST IN STAGING THE WORLD EXPOSITION IN WITH THE BIE BEFORE THE DEADLINE OF NOVEMBER 20, 1988".

MR CHEONG STRESSED THAT MORE ESSENTIAL TO HONG KONG THAN PROJECTS AS A NEW AIRPORT, NEW PORT FACILITIES, NEW ROADS, BRIDGES AND NEW RECLAMATIONS, WERE A 'HIGH-SPIRITED PEOPLE".

THEY WOULD BE A DEDICATED PEOPLE WHO WERE FULLY COMMITTED THE FUTURE OF THE TERRITORY, A COMMITMENT THAT GREW OUT UNREMITTING CONFIDENCE IN THEIR FUTURE HERE, A COMMITMENT THAT OUT OF THEIR PRIDE IN BEING A MEMBER OF "THIS LAND OF MAGIC".

1997

SUCH NEW

ΤΟ

OF

GREW

THAN

HE ASKED: "WHAT BETTER WAY CAN WE FOSTER THIS CONFIDENCE HOLDING AN EXPO IN 1997 WHICH THE GOVERNMENT HAS RIGHTLY POINTED OUT WOULD FOCUS WORLD ATTENTION ON HONG KONG AT A SIGNIFICANT MOMENT IN ITS HISTORY; LET HONG KONG PEOPLE DEMONSTRATE THEIR HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY THROUGH ITS ABILITY TO STAGE A WORLD EVENT ON ITS OWN; TO PROJECT HONG KONG AS A DYNAMIC AND PROSPEROUS AND EFFICIENT CITY, TO FOSTER TRADE AND CULTURAL LINKS?"

AND

THESE WERE THE VERY QUALITIES THAT MADE HONG KONG WHAT IT WAS TODAY, AND THEY WERE WHAT HONG KONG NEEDED AS IT MARCHED TOWARDS THE FUTURE.

THESE QUALITIES DID NOT JUST COME AND GO, NOR SHOULD THEY BE DISMISSED LIGHTLY AS "MOMENTARY PLEASURES," HE ADDED.

MR CHEONG WAS CONFIDENT THAT NO PROBLEM WAS INSURMOUNTABLE IN HONG KONG BECAUSE ITS PEOPLE HAD THE SPIRIT TO MAKE THINGS WORK, A KEEN EYE FOR OPPORTUNITIES, AND THE GOOD SENSE AND INITIATIVE TO TAKE THEM AS THEY CAME ALONG.

'SHYING AWAY FROM THE PROSPECT PROBLEMS IS NOT IN HONG KONG'S TRADITION,

-

OF HARD WORK AND POSSIBLE HE SAID.

/MR CHEONG