XN000022-1989-02-05 — Page 2

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1989

GOVERNOR'S LUNAR NEW YEAR MESSAGE 1989

"NEW YEAR IS THE TRADITIONAL TIME WHEN FAMILIES GATHER TOGETHER. THAT MAKES IT A GOOD TIME TO LOOK BACK ON THE PAST YEAR, REFLECT ON WHAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED AND TO LOOK AHEAD TO WHAT LIES BEFORE US IN THE YEAR TO COME.

"AS I LOOK OUT OF THE WINDOW OF MY OFFICE HERE I SEE ALL ROUND ME NEW BUILDINGS. THEY INCLUDE SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST NOTABLE EXAMPLES OF MODERN ARCHITECTURE. THEY SHOW, IN VERY SOLID FORM, HOW HONG KONG HAS PROSPERED OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.

"HONG KONG HAS DEVELOPED IN OTHER WAYS TOO. DURING MY VISITS TO ALL THE 19 DISTRICTS I HAVE BEEN INCREASINGLY IMPRESSED BY THE WAY IN WHICH WE LIVE AND ACT AS A COMMUNITY.

_

"IN TILIS CROWDED TERRITORY WE HAVE ALWAYS

TOGETHER.

LIVED CLOSE

"BUT NOW WE ARE BECOMING CLOSER IN ANOTHER, MORE IMPORTANT SENSE. WE CARE MORE FOR EACH OTHER AND THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY.

"WE ARE IN EFFECT ONE LARGE FAMILY OF FELLOW CITIZENS WITH MUTUAL INTERESTS, COMMON CONCERNS AND COMMON GOALS.

OTHER THE UNITED

"THIS LAST YEAR HAS SEEN US STRENGTHEN OUR LINKS WITH PLACES, NOT LEAST WITH OUR KEY TRADING PARTNERS IN CHINA, STATES, JAPAN AND EUROPE.

"VISITING THESE COUNTRIES I FOUND EVERYWHERE GREAT INTEREST IN HONG KONG AND OUR FUTURE.

"WE ARE OPEN TO THE WORLD AS A MEETING POINT BETWEEN EAST AND WEST. THAT IS WHAT GIVES HONG KONG AN IMPORTANCE FAR BEYOND ITS SIZE. WE HAVE TO BE ALERT TO WHAT HAPPENS ELSEWHERE AND QUICK TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT PRESENT THEMSELVES.

L

"WE HAVE MUCH TO BE PROUD OF AS WE LOOK BACK AND SEE KHAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED IN HONG KONG, WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK AHEAD AND

WHERE WE SHOULD DEVOTE OUR ENERGY IN THE FUTURE.

BEEN OUR

"IF I WERE ASKED WHAT WOULD BE MY FIRST WISH FOR THIS ARE YEAR, I WOULD SAY IT WILL BE FOR A BUOYANT ECONOMY. THAT'S ALWAYS GREATEST STRENGTH AND FOUNDATION OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.

"COUPLED WITH THAT I WOULD SAY THAT WE NEED TO LOOK THE FUTURE AND PLAN FOR A LONG TERM INTO THE NEXT CENTURY.

WELL

INTO

"ONE OF OUR GREAT STRENGTHS IN HONG KONG HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABILITY TO THINK LONG TERM AND REACT QUICKLY TO WHATEVER HAPPENS.

OUR

THE

"ANOTHER ISSUE WHICH I SEE AS BEING OF GREAT IMPORTANCE IS FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF AN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM GEARED ΤΟ HONG KONG'S NEEDS IN A CHANGING, MORE TECHNOLOGICAL, WORLD.

/OUR FUTURE