XN000022-1989-04-21 — Page 2

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FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 1989

OPENING STATEMENT BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD,

AT THE FAC PUBLIC HEARING TODAY (FRIDAY)

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CHAIRMAN,

r

I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO THE COMMITTEE IF I SAID A FEW WORDS ABOUT HOW HONG KONG AND ITS FUTURE LOOK FROM THE CHAIR OF THE CHIEF SECRETARY, I AM SURE YOU WILL NOT BE SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT I FIND THE IMAGE OF HONG KONG AS A SHIP DRIFTING RUDDERLESS ONTO THE ROCKS SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT TO SQUARE WITH THE REALITY OF OUR SITUATION,

I WILL NOT DWELL ON OUR ECONOMIC SUCCESS, IT IS THERE FOR ALL TO SEE, BUT I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO EMPHASISE THAT THE ECONOMIC STRENGTH OF HONG KONG HAS ENABLE US TO FUND, FROM PUBLIC REVENUE, A COMPREHENSIVE SET OF SOCIAL PROGRAMMES ON A HEAVILY SUBSIDISED BASIS FOR EVERYONE IN HONG KONG. THIS IN TURN HAS BROUGHT ABOUT A MEASURE OF STABILITY TO THE COMMUNITY WHICH HAS PROVIDED A VERY FIRM BASIS FOR THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL SYSTEMS.

WELL

ALL AND

OUR

AS TO THE FUTURE, WE ARE FIRMLY COMMITTED TO PUSHING AHEAD OUR PLANS, OUR HORIZON IS NOT IN ANY WAY LIMITED BY THE YEAR 1997 IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT OUR PLANS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, OUR MASSIVE HOUSING PROGRAMME, AS

AS OUR PLANNING FOR A THIRD HARBOUR CROSSING AND THE PROSPECT OF A NEW AIRPORT AND PORT, I DO NOT THINK THAT ANYONE COULD DOUBT OUR COMMITMENT NOR OUR ENTHUSIASM TO BUILD FOR THE FUTURE IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD.

CHAIRMAN, THE CHIEF SECRETARY DOES NOT SPEND HIS TIME LOOKING OVER HIS SHOULDER TOWARDS CHINA OR INDEED THE UNITED KINGDOM, WE HAVE LIVED WITH THE GEOGRAPHICAL REALITY OF CHINA FOR MANY DECADES, AND

IT IS SOMETIMES NECESSARY то BE AWARE OF ITS PRESENCE WHEN TAKING DECISIONS ABOUT HONG KONG BUT IT IS NO MORE THAN THAT AND I CERTAINLY DO NOT FEEL THAT THIS GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN INHIBITED IN TAKING DECISIONS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. WE DO HAVE ARGUMENTS WITH CHINA, WE HAVE ARGUMENTS WITH THE UK GOVERNMENT TOO BUT THESE ARGUMENTS DO NOT IMPINGE UPON THE EXCEPTIONAL DEGREE OF AUTONOMY WE HAVE NOW AND WE CONFIDENTLY EXPECT WE WILL HAVE IN THE FUTURE.

WE ARE QUITE CLEAR AS AN

ADMINISTRATION THAT IT IS ΤΟ THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE AND IT IS THEIR INTERESTS WHICH MUST BE PARAMOUNT IN THE WAY WE GOVERN THIS PLACE.

/AS TO