XN000022-1993-11-22 — Page 2

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1993

SPEECH BY GOVERNOR AT FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS' CLUB

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PHILIP, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

I

I CAN ACTUALLY RIVAL SUDANESE NAME-DROPPING WITH YOU. REMEMBER A VISIT TO SUDAN MYSELF, AN EVEN MORE DISTRESSING, I THINK THE MOST MISERABLE THING THAT I SAW WHEN I WAS BRITAIN'S AID MINISTER FOR THREE YEARS, WAS THE SUDANESE REFUGEE CAMPS IN THE SOUTH-WEST ETHIOPIA, A REMINDER, IF ONE NEEDED ONE, OF THE IMPORTANCE OF POLITICAL STABILITY AND THE RULE OF LAW IN EVERY COMMUNITY, NOT JUST IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN AFRICA.

COMMENTATOR NEW PARTY-

THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION TO SPEAK TODAY, ON WHAT I THINK IS YOUR OFFICIAL BIRTHDAY. I AM DELIGHTED TO BE HERE. I NOTICE THAT FOLLOWING AN ARTICLE BY THE DISTINGUISHED JOURNALIST AND WILLIAM REES-MOGG, 'THE TIMES' OF LONDON HAS LAUNCHED A GAME. IT CONSISTS OF DIVIDING THE WORLD INTO PEOPLE WHO ARE NATURAL HONG KONGERS THE SUCCESSFUL, RISK-TAKING, NO-NONSENSE-THRUSTERS - I SEE MANY OF YOU HERE TODAY

AND THE BORING BACKWARD-LOOKING,

DEFENSIVE REST ONE OR TWO SELF-APPOINTED MEMBERS OF THAT CLIQUE. I AM NOT ACTUALLY INVITING YOU TO JOIN IN THE GAME OR TO ANALYSE ITS RULES OR ITS ORIGINS BUT I OFFER THIS AS A SIGN OF OUR TIMES, AS WELL AS A SIGN OF THE TIMES. HONG KONG IS WIDELY REGARDED AS AN EXCITING SUCCESS STORY. WHY HAS HONG KONG WORKED WELL? AND WHY HAS IT WORKED SO MUCH BETTER THAN OTHER COMMUNITIES WITH MORE SUBSTANTIAL NATURAL ASSETS?

HAVE

THESE

HAVE

WHAT

HONG KONG HAS PROSPERED MIGHTILY NOT JUST BECAUSE OF ITS GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION; NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE NATURAL MONEY-MAKING ABILITIES OF ITS CHINESE CITIZENS; NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE HONG KONG BLEND OF TOUGH NO-NONSENSE CAPITALISM, ALTHOUGH ALL THESE THINGS PLAYED A PART IN OUR SUCCESS. BUT IT CANNOT HAVE BEEN JUST THINGS THAT GAVE US SUCCESS, BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER PLACES THAT MOST OF THESE THINGS TOO BUT HAVE NOT DONE NEARLY SO WELL. So, IS THE DECISIVE EXTRA INGREDIENT? I THINK THE ANSWER IS CLEAR; IT IS THE RULE OF LAW THAT HAS FOR MANY YEARS PROVIDED THE FRAMEWORK FOR HONG KONG'S ACHIEVEMENTS. TRUE, IT HAS EXISTED FOR MOST OF THAT TIME WITHOUT LOCAL DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS ALTHOUGH NEVER FORGET, IT HAS ALWAYS OPERATED UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE OF A FULLY DEMOCRATIC PARLIAMENT AT WESTMINSTER - I HOPE THAT POINT IS RECORDED AS WELL AND IN RECENT YEARS, OF COURSE, THE RULE OF LAW HAS BEEN SUPPORTED HERE BY AN EVOLVING SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTABILITY TO AN INCREASINGLY DEMOCRATIC ASSEMBLY IN HONG KONG.

/50 IT