XN000022-1990-01-15 — Page 6

MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 1990

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ΤΟ

THE PROSPECTS FOR HONG KONG AS WE ENTER THE 1990'S HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE EXCITING. WE ARE LIVING IN A PERIOD OF DRAMATIC CHANGES AROUND THE WORLD, OFTEN AT A BEWILDERING PACE, HONG KONG'S ABILITY ADAPT SHOULD PUT HER IN A STRONG POSITION TO SUCCEED AND PROSPER, ADDED.

H HE

MR HURD SAID HE DID NOT UNDER-ESTIMATE THE DIFFICULTIES OF THE NEXT DECADE. BRITAIN WOULD NOT REST IN DEFENDING AND PROMOTING HONG KONG'S INTEREST IN ANY WAY IT COULD.

"OUR

AIMS WILL BE TO MAINTAIN THE PROSPERITY AND WAY OF LIFE

ΤΟ GIFTED AND RESOURCEFUL PEOPLE; OF A UNIQUELY

ABOUT THE BRING SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION OF HONG KONG FROM A BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORY TO A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF CHINA

ONE COUNTRY, TWO

SYSTEMS.

ITS

"WE SHALL WORK WITH YOU FOR A STABLE, PROSPEROUS HONG KONG, CONSTANTLY RENEWING ITSELF, CONSTANTLY SURPRISING THE WORLD WITH

MR HURD SAID. SKILLS, ITS DISCIPLINE, ITS IMAGINATIVE ENERGY,

0

MR

FOREIGN SECRETARY VISITS SHA TIN

* * * * *

COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS,

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND DOUGLAS HURD, THIS (MONDAY) MORNING VISITED SHA TIN NEW TOWN ONE OF THE MOST POPULOUS DISTRICTS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, AND ALSO TOURED ONE OF THE LATEST PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES AT MA ON SHAN.

ACCOMPANIED BY THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, MR PETER TSAO, THE FOREIGN SECRETARY HAD A PANORAMIC VIEW OF SHA TIN FROM THE ROOF OF GARDEN RIVERA WHERE HE WAS BRIEFED BY THE DISTRICT OFFICER, MR VICTOR YUNG, AND THE PROJECT MANAGER, MR LAM MOON-TIM.

ABOUT 70 PER CENT OF SHA TIN'S 514,000 POPULATION LIVE IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES INCLUDING HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEMES, WHILE THE . REMA I NDER FORMS A MIXTURE OF PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL BLOCKS AND VILLAGES.

THE FOREIGN SECRETARY LEARNED THAT THE DESIGNED POPULATION OF TIN BY THE MID-90'S WAS 700,000 SERVED BY A WIDE RANGE OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES, A VAST ROAD NETWORK AND RAIL LINKS.

SHA

THE TOTAL DEVELOPMENT COST FOR COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND CIVIL ENGINEERING WORKS IS ESTIMATED AT ABOUT $17.4 BILLION OF WHICH SOME $11.3 BILLION HAD BEEN SPENT TO DATE.

THE SHING MUN RIVER WHICH DIVIDES THE DISTRICT PROVIDES AN AESTHETICAL ATTRACTION IN THE NEW TOWN'S LAYOUT, AND ALTHOUGH POLLUTED THERE ARE PLANS TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SLUDGE EXPORT SCHEME AND EFFLUENT EXPORT SCHEME.

MR HURD TRAVELLED TO HENG ON ESTATE IN MA ON SHAN WHERE HE WAS MET BY THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSING, MR FREDDIE PANG.

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/THE FOREIGN

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