XN000022-1989-04-07 — Page 2

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FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 1989

HK PEOPLE SHOULD ADOPT POSITIVE APPROACH TO THE FUTURE : CS

THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG HAVE THE ABILITY AND THE WILL THIS GREAT CITY WORK EVEN BETTER FOR ITSELF AND FOR CHINA, SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

"THAT ABILITY AND WILL MUST BE LINKED TO A POSITIVE

TO MAKE THE CHIEF

APPROACH,

HE SAID.

MEETING

OF

THE AMERICAN

CHAMBER

OF

AND

SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON COMMERCE, THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID THERE WERE, OF COURSE, WORRIES FEARS FOR THE FUTURE WHICH WERE TOTALLY UNDERSTANDAble.

"BUT WE MUST NOT FALL INTO THE TRAP OF TALKING

OURSELVES INTO

A DEPRESSION ABOUT THE FUTURE.

THAT IS

"WE DO HAVE A TENDENCY AS A COMMUNITY TO DISCOUNT ALL GOOD ABOUT HONG KONG AND FOCUS ON THE BAD NEWS," SIR DAVID SAID.

"WE NEED TO MAKE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO REMIND OURSELVES OF WE HAVE ACHIEVED AND ALL WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO," HE ADDED.

ALL

AND

OF THE SKEPTICISM THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID HE WAS AWARE FEELING OF UNCERTAINTY AMONG SOME QUARTERS IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT HONG KONG'S FUTURE.

AND IT WILL TAKE A

IDEAS TO CHANGE,

"THESE ARE NOT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND, LONG TIME FOR STRONG PERCEPTIONS AND PRECONCEIVED SIR DAVID SAID.

AT THE AND LONGER TERM

HOWEVER, HE POINTED OUT THAT THE COMMUNITY SHOULD LOOK WHOLE QUESTION OF CHINESE COMMITMENT WITH A BROADER

PERSPECTIVE.

"THE CHINESE COMMITMENT TOWARDS THE SUCCESS BASED ON CONSIDERATIONS THAT GO BEYOND INDEED COMPELLING, HE SAID.

ECONOMIC

OUTLINING SOME OF THE KEY REASONS WHY

OF HONG

IS KONG IMPORTANCE AND ARE

ENOUGH

HONG KONG'S CONTINUING CHINA, THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID SUCCESS AFTER 1997 WAS CRUCIAL TO THESE WERE NOT NEW, BUT NONETHELESS WERE GENUINE AND IMPORTANT TO WARRANT REPEATING SO THAT WE WERE SENSATIONS BROUGHT ABOUT BY HIGH SIGHT OF THE BROADER CONTEXT.

BY THE OCCASIONAL

AS EVENTS

TO LOSE

SWAYED NOT

MEDIA PROFILE

FIRM VIEWS ON THE KONG, THEY HAVE

"WE MUST REMEMBER THAT ALTHOUGH CHINA HAS TREATIES SIGNED IN THE LAST CENTURY CONCERNING HONG ADOPTED A STATESMANLIKE STAND WITH CONSCIOUS RESTRAINT AND HAVE MADE ANY ATTEMPT TO FORCE ANY UNILATERAL DECISION ON HONG KONG.

"THIS WAS THE CASE EVEN IN THE TROUBLED TIMES OF REVOLUTION, SIR DAVID SAID.

NEVER

THE CULTURAL

"NOW THAT