XN000022-1990-05-22 — Page 3

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 1990

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THE GOVERNOR SAID THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE BASIC LAW PROVIDED THE BLUEPRINT FOR HONG KONG'S TRANSITION, WITHOUT INTERRUPTION, FROM BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORY TO ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.

SPECIAL

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE FOUNDATIONS WERE LAID AND WE MUST NOW GET ON WITH THE BUILDING. "I DO NOT PRETEND THAT THIS WILL BE EASY. NO ONE HAS USED THIS BLUEPRINT BEFORE.

**

"SOMETIMES THE WEATHER FOR BUILDING IS NOT AS GOOD AS WE WOULD WISH. NEVERTHELESS, WE ARE MAKING REAL PROGRESS IN SORTING OUT A WHOLE SERIES OF DETAILED INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE TRANSITION," HE SAID.

SIR

DAVID SAID THAT OF COURSE MANY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WERE STILL WORRIED, PARTICULARLY OVER THE LAST YEAR. "SOME WILL NOT STAY TO SEE IF IT WORKS. SOME WANT INSURANCE IN CASE ANYTHING GOES WRONG.

HE POINTED OUT THAT LAST YEAR 42,000 MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN EMIGRATED. "THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN MIGRATION FROM HONG KONG, BUT THIS FIGURE IS HIGHER THAN THE HISTORICAL NORM.

"ALMOST NONE OF THESE NEW EMIGRANTS WANT TO LEAVE HONG KONG. BUT THEY FEEL THE NEED TO SECURE A RIGHT ΤΟ RESIDE ELSEWHERE AS INSURANCE AGAINST FUTURE UNCERTAINTY, HE SAID.

ONE

"

"MANY OF THE BREADWINNERS AMONG THESE 42,000 QUARTER OF THEM

*

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WE ESTIMATE

ARE PROFESSIONALS. A DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER ARE YOUNG, THE GOVERNOR SAID, AND ADDED: WE CAN ILL AFFORD THIS OUTFLOW OF YOUNG TALENT.'

*

HE POINTED OUT

THAT LEGISLATION BEING PUT THROUGH PARLIAMENT BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO GRANT PASSPORTS TO 50,000 HEADS OF HOUSEHOLD IN HONG KONG AIMED TO ANCHOR KEY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG BY GIVING THEM THE ASSURANCE NEEDED TO STAY, AND NONE OF THEM WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE HONG KONG TO EARN THE RIGHT TO RESIDE IN

BRITAIN.

STATES,

**WE HOPE THAT OTHER COUNTRIES, INCLUDING THE UNITED WILL ALSO LOOK AT MEASURES WHICH WILL HELP TO KEEP PEOPLE IN HONG KONG CONTRIBUTING TO ITS FUTURE PROSPERITY, " HE ADDED.

SIR DAVID SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD ALWAYS WELCOME BACK THOSE WHO WENT AND THEN RETURNED, "BUT WE ARE ALSO IMPROVING OUR ABILITY TO MAKE GOOD THE LOSS."

OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS THE NUMBER OF UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE LEVEL DEGREE PLACES WOULD BE DOUBLED AND, BY 1995, 25 PER CENT OF SCHOOL LEAVERS WOULD GO ON TO FURTHER EDUCATION THREE QUARTERS OF THEM TO EARN DEGREES, SIR DAVID SAID.

— —

"AND WHAT WE CANNOT FIND LOCALLY WE WILL HIRE FROM ABROAD. OUR ATTITUDE TO FIRMS WHO WANT TO BRING IN SKILLED STAFF FROM OVERSEAS HAS ALWAYS BEEN FLEXIBLE. YOU WILL FIND IT MORE SO IN THE FUTURE, HE SAID.

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/SIR DAVID