XN000022-1992-10-23 — Page 3

N

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1992

AS AN

ECONOMIC

SUCCESS

WE'VE PRODUCED TO TRANSFORM THE WE'VE SEEN A WE'VE SEEN A AVAILABLE FOR

STORY, SUBSTANTIAL RESOURCES WHICH HAVE ENABLED US ALSO PROSPECTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG IN SOCIAL TERMS. REVOLUTION IN THE CONDITION OF PEOPLE'S HOUSING. REVOLUTION IN THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES WHICH ARE THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. MOST OF MY SENIOR OFFICIALS IN THEIR MID TO LATE 40'S, WERE AT UNIVERSITY AT A TIME WHEN ONLY A FEW HUNDRED YOUNG PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WENT TO UNIVERSITY.

NOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 14,000 OR

15,000 A YEAR, A SITUATION IN WHICH GETTING ON FOR ONE IN FIVE OF 17-20 YEAR-OLDS WILL BE IN HIGHER EDUCATION. WE'VE SEEN A TRANSFORMATION IN OUR HEALTH INDICATORS, SO NOW THE CHILD MORTALITY RATES IN HONG KONG ARE LOWER THAN IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, LOWER THAN IN AUSTRALIA, SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN IN THE UNITED STATES. WE'VE SEEN A TREMENDOUS INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE, AN INVESTMENT WHICH IS GOING TO CONTINUE WHATEVER THE NOISES OFF. AND WE'VE STARTED ΤΟ SEE A GREAT INVESTMENT IN CLEANING-UP OUR ENVIRONMENT AS WELL. AND ALL THAT WILL HAPPEN DESPITE THE POLITICAL BALLYHOO. NONE OF THAT NOISE IS GOING TO MAKE THIS COMMUNITY, OR ITS GOVERNMENT, INERT.

—

SO HONG KONG IS AN ECONOMIC AND A SOCIAL SUCCESS; AND IT'S SOMETHING ELSE AS WELL. HONG KONG IS AN OPEN SOCIETY, IT'S A TOLERANT SOCIETY, IT'S A FREE SOCIETY, AND THE CONTINUANCE OF THAT OPENNESS, THAT TOLERANCE AND THAT FREEDOM, ARE GUARANTEED IN THE JOINT DECLARATION SIGNED BETWEEN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND CHINA.

NO.

DO THOSE QUALITIES, DO THOSE VALUES OF FREEDOM AND TOLERANCE AND OPENNESS, STAND APART FROM HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SUCCESS? THE ANSWER IS OBVIOUSLY,

CERTAINLY, HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY HELP TO SUSTAIN OUR WAY OF LIFE, THAT'S ABUNDANTLY TRUE. BUT IT'S ALSO TRUE THAT OUR WAY OF LIFE HELPS ΤΟ SUSTAIN OUR PROSPERITY AND OUR STABILITY. AND THOSE WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT, DON'T UNDERSTAND HONG KONG.

PHILOSOPHERS SOCIETY', IS WROTE, WITH

I THINK THE GREATEST OF MODERN POLITICAL IS KARL POPPER, WHOSE TWO VOLUME WORK, THE OPEN CERTAINLY THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK IN MY LIFE. AND HE THAT IMMENSE CLARITY WHICH HAS MADE HIM SUCH A GREAT EDUCATOR OF POLITICIANS OVER THE YEARS: "WE MUST PLAN FOR FREEDOM AND NOT JUST FOR SECURITY, IF FOR NO OTHER REASON THAT ONLY FREEDOM CAN SECURITY SECURE. IF POPPER HAD BEEN GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG WHICH HE MIGHT HAVE TURNED DOWN BUT IF HE HAD BEEN GOVERNOR OF KONG, HE MIGHT HAVE SAID: "WE MUST PLAN TO PRESERVE OUR WAY OF LIFE AND NOT JUST OUR PROSPERITY, FOR IT IS OUR WAY OF LIFE WHICH WILL MAKE PROSPERITY SECURE."

MAKE

-

A

POST

HONG

/AN IMPORTANT