XN000022-1993-12-17 — Page 11

9

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1993

GOVERNOR

A

WE

HAVE TO AND

WHAT

LIMIT

AS THE YEARS PASS, WE'RE GOING TO FIND IN HONG KONG THAT PROPORTION LARGER

OF OUR POPULATION IS RETIRED

THE AND

LARGER PROPORTION OF THAT RETIRED POPULATION IS VERY ELDERLY. THAT IS ONE OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SUCCESS. IT IS ONE OF THE CONSEQUENCES CONSEQUENCES OF IMPROVEMENTS IN MEDICAL CARE, ONE OF THE OF IMPROVEMENTS IN HOUSING. IF WE'RE TO LOOK AFTER THOSE ELDERLY, HAVE TO ENCOURAGE PRIVATE PROVISION OF PENSIONS BUT WE ALSO RECOGNISE THAT WE NEED TO GO FURTHER AND THAT DOES INVOLVE COSTS

ELSE APART CAN'T SIMPLY WHISH THEM AWAY BY SAYING THAT SOMEBODY FROM ALL OF US AS INDIVIDUALS HAS GOT TO MEET THE COSTS OF THAT. WE WANT TO DO AND THIS IS THE INTENTION OF OUR PROPOSALS IS TO THOSE COSTS TO WHAT IS AFFORDABLE. AND WE DON'T WANT TO RUN THE WHICH IS PRESENT IN A CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND OF HAVING

BENEFITS BY INDIVIDUALS AND EMPLOYERS FOR SMALLER CONTRIBUTIONS

I REPEAT GAINS.

IS THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF WHAT I THINK

A VERY SORT IMPORTANT ARGUMENT AND ONE THAT GOES RIGHT TO THE HEART OF WHAT OF SOCIETY WE WANT TO BE IN HONG KONG. BUT I THINK AT THE END OF DAY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO RECKON THAT THEY WANT A SOCIETY WHICH LOOKS ITS ELDERLY CITIZENS DECENTLY SO THAT THEY HAVE A PROPER THE LIVES THEY'VE CONTRIBUTED TO THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY. THAT WILL BE THE OUTCOME AND I VERY MUCH BELIEVE THAT THAT WE'VE SUGGESTED IS THE BEST ONE.

THANK YOU.

RISK

LARGER

AND

AFTER

REWARD FOR I AM SURE

THE

APPROACH

0

GOVERNOR SPEAKS TO PRESS AFTER OPENING KWAI SHING SCHOOL

OF THE SPASTICS ASSOCIATION OF HONG KONG

GOVERNOR: I AM DELIGHTED TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO VISIT THIS EXCELLENT NEW THE SCHOOL. I THINK IT'S PROVIDING AN OUTSTANDING SERVICE FOR SOME OF DISABLED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND WE'VE, OBVIOUSLY, GOT TO GO ON KONG DEVELOPING OUR SERVICES AND FACILITIES FOR THE DISABLED IN HONG IN ORDER TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY OF DEVELOPING THEIR POTENTIAL TO

HELPS THE NOT

WHOLE

THE OF ONLY HELPS THEM BUT THE FULL WHICH COMMUNITY SO I AM DELIGHTED TO HAVE SERN THIS SCHOOL THIS MORNING.

BRITAIN

QUESTION: GOVERNOR, WE KNOW THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND AS WELL ARE WAITING FOR A FORMAL REPLY FROM CHINA BUT THEN ISN'T PASSIVE WAY OF DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM BECAUSE CHINA MAY NOT YOU ANY FORMAL REPLY AND WHEN WILL YOU TABLE THE REST OF THEN?

A

YOUR

THAT

GIVE

BILL

18TH

AFFAIRS

THINK

TO

THE

ΤΟ

OUR

GOVERNOR: IN THE 17TH ROUND OF TALKS, WE PROPOSED DATES FOR THE ROUND OF TALKS AND THEN, WE CONTACTED THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN IN PEKING ON TWO FURTHER OCCASIONS ON DECEMBER 2ND AND 14TH. I AFTER

WAS DRAWN THE MOST RECENT

ATTENTION CONTACT, OUR STATEMENT MADE BY THE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN YESTERDAY. I WANT

TALKS MAKE THIS ABSOLUTELY CLEAR. LAST YEAR, IT WAS US WHO ASKED FOR AND PRESSED FOR TALKS, SOME OF YOU WERE VERY PATIENT, IT TOOK MUCH TOO GOING IN THE LONG ΤΟ GET TALKS GOING BUT EVENTUALLY TALKS DID GET

INTRODUCED SPRING. OUR POSITION NOW, AS YOU KNOW, IS THAT WE'VE

ADMINISTRATIVE TIME PARTIAL LEGISLATION BECAUSE THE LEGISLATIVE AND TABLE MADE THAT ESSENTIAL. WE'VE GOT A BIT OF TIME AND UNTIL WE TO TO BRING FORWARD THE REST OF THE PROPOSALS, WE ARE PREPARED

POSITION. WITH THE CHINESE SIDE AT ANY TIME. THAT REMAINS OUR BOUGHT OURSELVES SOME TIME FOR MORE TALKING. WE ARE NOT GOING TO AWAY FROM THE NEGOTIATING TABLE. WE ARE GOING TO LEAVE OUR PAPERS

MUCH HOPE THE TABLE AND WE ARE GOING TO LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN. I VERY THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WON'T CLOSE THE DOOR. NECESSARY TO BRING FORWARD THE REST OF PREPARED TO TALK.

HAVE

TALK

WE'VE

WALK ON

I REPEAT THAT UNTIL IT THE LEGISLATION,

WE

IS ARE

/QUESTION