XN000022-1992-10-13 — Page 4

نیا

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1992

SECONDLY, I WANTED TO SHOW HOW, WITH THE RESULTS OF OUR ECONOMIC SUCCESS, WE CAN DO MORE TO LOOK AFTER THOSE WHO ARE IN NEED, WHO HAVE DISADVANTAGES IN OUR COMMUNITY. I WANTED TO SHOW HOW WE COULD DO MORE FOR THE HANDICAPPED, FOR THE MENTALLY-ILL, FOR THE ELDERLY, FOR THE POORER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, I WANTED TO SHOW HOW WE CAN INVEST MORE IN EDUCATION, IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE OTHER THINGS WHICH WE REGARD AS IMPORTANT. THAT WASN'T THE GOVERNOR INVESTING THE GOVERNOR'S MONEY IN ALL THESE THINGS WE WANT. YOU HAVE EARNED THAT AND IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE USE IT IN WAYS WHICH MAKE SENSE FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.

THIRDLY. YOU'VE BEEN TELLING ME, MANY OF YOU, IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, THAT WHAT YOU WANT IS A RATHER GREATER SHARE TN DETERMINING YOUR OWN FUTURE. THAT YOU WANT SOME MORE MODEST PROGRESS IN DEMOCRACY, BUT THAT YOU WANT THAT IN A WAY THAT WILL LAST, IN A WAY, IF POSSIBLE, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH THE CONSTITUTION AFTER 1997, THE BASIC LAW.

THAT IS THE BALANCE WHICH I HAVE TRIED ΤΟ

STRIKE.

THAT IS WHAT I HAVE TRIED TO DO IN MY PROPOSALS ON CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, WHICH I BELIEVE REFLECT WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING TO ME, WHICH I WILL OF COURSE BE DISCUSSING IN CHINA NEXT WEEK.

FOURTH, WHAT I AM DETERMINED TO TRY TO DO. IS ΤΟ SAFEGUARD THE WAY OF LIFE OF HONG KONG. THE WAY OF LIFE WHICH HAS UNDERPINNED OUR PROSPERITY AND STABILITY, AND THE WAY OF LIFE WHICH OUR STABILITY AND PROSPERITY HELP TO SHAPE AS WELL. HONG KONG HAS ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL STORIES OF MODERN TIMES.

BY YOUR OWN EFFORTS YOU HAVE MADE HONG KONG INTO PROBABLY THE TENTH LARGEST TRADING COMMUNITY IN THE WORLD. IT'S AN ASTONISHING ACHIEVEMENT! I THINK WE HAVE TO SAFEGUARD THAT, AT THE SAME TIME AS WE TRUST YOU ΤΟ TAKE A GREATER SHARE IN RUNNING YOUR OWN AFFAIRS.

PART OF THAT WAY OF LIFE IS THAT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE ΤΟ ASK THE GOVERNOR DIFFICULT QUESTIONS, OR EVEN, I НОРЕ, SOME EASY QUESTIONS. BUT AS WAS SAID AT THE BEGINNING, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE GIVE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE THE OPPORTUNITY ΤΟ ASK QUESTIONS. AT MY FIRST MEETING, IN THE CITY HALL IN CENTRAL, WE HAD ABOUT 25-30 QUESTIONS BUT ONLY 11 QUESTIONERS, BECAUSE SEVERAL PEOPLE ASKED THREE OR FOUR QUESTIONS. AT SHA TIN LAST FRIDAY, WE REACHED AN AGREEMENT, WE HAD A BIT OF DEMOCRACY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE QUESTION AND ANSWER, AND I ASKED EVERYBODY WHETHER THEY WOULD AGREE WITH ME THAT EVERYBODY WOULD ONLY HAVE ONE QUESTION. AND IF EVERYBODY ONLY HAS ONE QUESTION, WE MAY BE ABLE TO GET 20 OR SO QUESTIONERS

IN.

I THINK THAT'S A FAIR WAY OF PROCEEDING, AND AFTER THIS HAS BEEN INTERPRETED, I'D JUST LIKE TO HAVE EVERYONE WHO THINKS THAT IT SHOULD BE ONE QUESTION FOR EVERY QUESTIONER, TO RAISE THEIR HAND,

ANYBODY AGAINST?

A COUPLE.

SO I THINK, BY AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY, WE'VE AGREED THAT IT WILL BE ONE QUESTION EACH.

/QUESTION: MR