XN000022-1990-05-24 — Page 3

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THURSDAY, MAY 24,

MAY 24, 1990

"IN

OF

RESULT RECENT YEARS, THEY HAVE BECOME EVEN STRONGER AS A YOUR OWN

CHAMBER OF GROWING COMMERCIAL PRESENCE. THE CANADIAN COMMERCE IN HONG KONG IS THE BIGGEST CHAMBER OUTSIDE CANADA.

"SOME 11,500 OF YOUR COUNTRYMEN, AT LEAST, NOW LIVE AND WORK IN HONG KONG HE ADDED.

T

TURNING TO THE PROBLEM OF "BRAIN DRAIN" FROM HONG KONG, SIR DAVID

EVIDENCE SAID

OF IT WAS NOWHERE MORE

THAN APPARENT

IN SET THEM TORONTO. BUT HE WOULD LIKE TO STAND BACK FROM THE PROBLEMS;

ARRANGED FOR THE FUTURE IN CONTEXT, AND LOOK AT WHAT HAD BEEN

AND

WHAT WE WERE WORKING FOR.

NOT STAGING

THE GOVERNOR POINTED OUT THAT MIGRATION FROM HONG KONG WAS NEW, AND SAID IN THE LAST CENTURY THE TERRITORY WAS ALREADY A POST FOR CHINESE WORKERS HEADING ACROSS THE PACIFIC.

IN

THE EARLY 1980'S, EMIGRATION FROM HONG KONG RAN AT THE RATE OF ABOUT

HAD LEAVING 20,000 A YEAR BUT, MORE RECENTLY, THE NUMBER BEEN HIGHER, SIR DAVID SAID.

IN MANY OF HE ADDED.

"PEOPLE WITH A NATURAL ANXIETY ABOUT THE FUTURE ARE LEAVING SEARCH OF AN INSURANCE POLICY'. LAST YEAR SOME 42,000 LEFT. THEM CAME TO CANADA. THIS YEAR THE NUMBERS WILL BE HIGHER,

*WE

WILL DO WILL, OF COURSE, BE SORRY TO SEE THEM GO. BUT WE

WE NOTHING TO STOP THEM. THE FREEDOM TO TRAVEL IS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT. INTEND TO PROTECT IT, THE GOVERNOR STRESSED.

+

SIR DAVID SAID HE DID NOT WISH TO DISGUISE THE SERIOUS NATURE OF

THE PROBLEM

AND BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE OUR MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE, THE DEMAND FOR TRAINED PERSONNEL WAS HIGH.

PAINT HONG 'THE MEDIA ATTENTION MIGRATION ATTRACTS CAN EASILY KONG IN AN UNFAVOURABLE LIGHT. NONETHELESS, IT IS ESSENTIALLY PRACTICAL PROBLEM AND WE ARE TAKING PRACTICAL STEPS TO DEAL WITH IT, HE SAID.

A

It

ΤΟ

EVER

WAS SAID THE FOUNDATION FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE DAVID SIR HAVE A SUCCESSFUL ECONOMY. "OUR ECONOMY IS MORE DIVERSIFIED THAN BEFORE AD THEREFORE STRONGER.

"WE HAVE A LEAN AND INCREASINGLY SOPHISTICATED INDUSTRIAL A LITTLE SECTOR. OUR ECONOMIC ENGINE IS RACING; IF ANYTHING RUNNING TOO HOT,

OF WITH UNEMPLOYMENT SHRUNK TO THE VERY LOW RATE CENT

1.7 PER

**REAL WAGES CONTINUE TO RISE AND PER CAPITA GROSS DOMESTIC 1. HE PRODUCT HAS REACHED NEARLY C$13,000, AMONGST THE HIGHEST IN ASIA,' SAID.

THE

"WE MUST ALSO GET ON WITH THE OTHER VITAL PART OF BUILDING FUTURE: THE PHYSICAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE DAVID SAID.

..

FOR CITY," SIR

/THE GOVERNOR