XN000022-1992-07-09 — Page 6

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WELCOMING SPEECH GIVEN BY SIR DAVID FORD, KBE, LVO, JP AT THE SWEARING-IN CEREMONY FOR

HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN AT THE CITY HALL ON 9 JULY 1992

YOUR EXCELLENCY, MRS PATTEN,

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

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ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG IT IS MY PRIVILEGE AND MY PLEASURE TO GREET YOU TODAY AS THE 28TH GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG. YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ARE ASSURED OF A VERY WARM WELCOME FROM THE WHOLE COMMUNITY. WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL ALL ENJOY YOUR LIFE WITH US IN HONG KONG.

I REMEMBER WELL YOUR FIRST VISIT HERE IN 1979 AS A BACK BENCH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT. WE SPENT SOME TIME TOGETHER THEN DISCUSSING THE ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE TERRITORY. WE TALKED ABOUT THE AMBITIOUS GOALS WHICH HONG KONG HAD SET ITSELF FOR THE 1980S. I SENSED THEN YOUR REAL CONCERN FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND YOUR ADMIRATION FOR THEIR ENERGY AND ENTERPRISE AND FOR THEIR DETERMINATION TO SUCCEED.

YOUR VISIT AS MINISTER FOR OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT IN 1988 CAME AT A TIME WHEN WE WERE STRUGGLING TO DEAL WITH A TIDAL WAVE OF HUMANITY FLEEING VIETNAM. YOU MADE FUNDS AVAILABLE SO THAT WE COULD BUILD NEW CAMPS FOR THEM. THE COMMUNITY COPED WITH THAT PROBLEM AS IT HAS COPED WITH ALL THE OTHER CHALLENGES OF THE LAST DECADE. WE HAVE GONE ON MAKING STEADY PROGRESS, DEVELOPING THE ECONOMY, BUILDING UP THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND IMPROVING OUR SOCIAL PROGRAMMES. DESPITE THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE FACED, THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG HAS IMPROVED STRADILY OVER THE YEARS.

SINCE THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF YOUR APPOINTMENT, I KNOW YOU HAVE SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME READING, THINKING AND TALKING ABOUT HONG KONG AND HONG KONG AFFAIRS. YOU HAVE MET A WIDE RANGE OF PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT VIEWS AND PERSPECTIVES. [ ALSO KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOW ANXIOUS TO GET OUT AND ABOUT AND MEET ORDINARY PEOPLE.

AS YOU TRAVEL AROUND THE TERRITORY, I AM SURE YOU WILL BE STRUCK BY ALL THAT HAS BEEN ACHTEVED. IN PHYSICAL, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL TERMS THERE HAVE BEEN GREAT CHANGES. BUT YOU WILL ALSO FIND THAT THE FUNDAMENTAL VALUES WHICH HAVE MADE THIS PROGRESS POSSIBLE HAVE NOT CHANGED. THE DETERMINATION TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ONE'S FAMILY THROUGH HARD WORK AND ENTERPRISE REMAINS THE PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTIC OF OUR COMMUNITY.