XN000022-1993-07-21 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1993

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PROTECT AND ENHANCE OUR COUNTRYSIDE: GOVERNOR

IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT EVERYTHING WERE TO BE DONE TO PROTECT AND ENHANCE HONG KONG'S COUNTRYSIDE, THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE JOCKEY CLUB RECREATION BUILDING OF TAI MONG TSAI OUTDOOR TRAINING CAMP, MR PATTEN SAID THIS COULD BE ACHIEVED THROUGH PLANNING AS WELL AS OTHER MEASURES.

"WE HAVE MAGNIFICENT COUNTRYSIDE AND THE COUNTRY PARKS ARE JEWEL OF OUR CROWN.

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"HONG KONG WORKS VERY HARD. IT'S IMPORTANT, THEREFORE, THAT HONG KONG SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF RELAXING AND PLAYING HARD AS WELL BECAUSE THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO A FIT AND HEALTHY AND HAPPY LIFE, HE SAID.

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THE GOVERNOR ALSO SAID THE NUMBER OF TOURISTS COMING TO HONG KONG COULD DOUBLE OR TREBLE IF MORE OF THEM KNEW ABOUT ITS BEAUTIFUL COUNTRYSIDE.

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HK STUDYING EFFECTS OF CHINA'S AUSTERITY MEASURES

HONG KONG IS LOOKING CAREFULLY AT WHAT THE EFFECTS OF THE AUSTERITY MEASURES TAKEN BY CHINA MIGHT BE ON HONG KONG'S ECONOMY, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, MR HAMISH MACLEOD, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

HE SAID THE EFFECTS WERE DIFFICULT TO FORECAST AT THIS EARLY STAGE BUT HE NOTED THAT NOBODY WAS FORECASTING A DRAMATIC EFFECT ON HONG KONG'S ECONOMY.

HE ALSO SAID AT THE MOMENT, HE WAS STICKING TO THE FIVE PER CENT TREND GROWTH RATE IN DRAWING UP NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.

MR MACLEOD WAS RESPONDING TO PRESS QUESTIONS BEFORE ATTENDING TODAY'S LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SITTING.

WHEN ASKED TO CLARIFY THE FORECAST OF "A REDUCTION IN ABOUT ONE PER CENT" MENTIONED IN HIS INTERVIEW WITH A NEWSPAPER, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY SAID:

GDP OF GERMAN

"I AM SIMPLY REFERRING TO SOME PUBLISHED FORECASTS BY LOCAL ECONOMISTS WHICH AT THIS EARLY STAGE WERE BRAVE ENOUGH ΤΟ MAKE A

· FORECAST AT ALL AND SAID THAT, IF I SUMMARISE THE THREE, THAT PROBABLY THE IMPACT ON HONG KONG'S GDP, PERHAPS STARTING NEXT YEAR, OR PERHAPS LATE THIS YEAR, WILL PROBABLY BE A REDUCTION IN OUR GDP GROWTH BY ABOUT ONE PER CENT.

/"SO IT