XN000022-1991-02-20 — Page 8

7

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1991

IN

WELL-INFORMED IS EFFECTIVE

REACHING THIS BALANCE BETWEEN KEEPING CHINA ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING: HAVING HERE A GOVERNMENT WHICH AND TAKES ITS OWN DECISIONS, WE WILL HAVE TO FEEL OUR WAY FORWARD OVER PROJECT, THE NEXT SIX-AND-A-HALF YEARS. WE ARE FINDING ON THE AIRPORT WAYS FORWARD OF TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT CHINA IS KEPT CAREFULLY INFORMED. THAT I THINK IS THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT. WE NEED TO HAVE

VIEW BENEVOLENT

FROM CHINA, SUPPORT FROM CHINA FOR THAT GENERAL PROJECT, IF IT IS GOING TO BE CARRIED OUT EFFECTIVELY AND ECONOMICALLY EFFICIENTLY, AND THAT TOO IS TO EVERYBODY'S BENEFIT.

A

OUR

NOT

THE

WHOLE PROCESS NEEDS A CONTINUOUS BUILDING UP OF THE

CONTACTS. IT'S VERY DIFFERENT NOW FROM WHAT IT WAS 12 YEARS AGO, BUT STILL ARE ONTACTS ARE PERHAPS MORE LIMITED THAN THEY SHOULD BE. THEY THAT SMALL. WE HAD SOMETHING LIKE 100 DIFFERENT DELEGATIONS FROM HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WHICH WENT TO THE MAINLAND OF CHINA LAST YEAR. WE HAD ABOUT 80 DELEGATIONS COMING THE OTHER WAY. THEY COVERED ALL SORTS

FOOD SUBJECTS LIKE METEOROLOGY, BORDER CONTROL, OF

AND UNDRAMATIC

PRIVATE HEALTH AND TECHNOLOGICAL CO-OPERATION. THERE ARE INNUMERABLE

PERSONAL SECTOR CONTACTS IN THE BUSINESS WORLD. THERE ARE INNUMERABLE AND

THERE FAMILY CONTACTS;

IS SOMETHING LIKE

MILLION 40

PERSON JOURNEYS ACROSS THAT BORDER EVERY YEAR, AND THAT IS A COLOSSAL NUMBER. CONTACTS BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ROOM FOR BUILDING UP THOSE INCREASINGLY IN THE FUTURE. WE NEED FOR

CIVIL INSTANCE, IN THE

HOW ABOUT

THE

SERVICE, TO HAVE OUR CIVIL SERVANTS BETTER INFORMED CHINESE SYSTEM WORKS AND HAVING MORE CONTACT WITH PEOPLE IN CHINA. AND HOPE ON A WE WILL BE HAVING VISITS BY CIVIL SERVANTS TO CHINA, I

DEAL REGULAR BASIS, ONE TAKING PLACE NEXT MONTH. SO THERE IS A GREAT

WITH CHINA OF WORK TO BE DONE ON THAT FIELD OF BUILDING UP CONTACTS AND TRYING TO WORK OUT, OVER THE NEXT SIX-AND-A-HALF YEARS WHAT IS THE BEST AND WHAT IS THE RIGHT WAY FORWARD.

HONG FINALLY, ONE GENERAL POINT ABOUT POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN KONG. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT YEAR IN HONG KONG'S HISTORY. WE HAVE ELECTIONS AT ALL THREE LEVELS; DISTRICT BOARD LEVEL, MUNICIPAL COUNCIL

FIRST FINALLY IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WITH OUR LEVEL AND

DIRECT

ELECTIONS.

/OVER THE