XN000022-1994-03-09 — Page 27

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 1994

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GOVERNOR SPEAKS TO MEDIA

THE FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER HIS VISIT ΤΟ THE POLICE TRAINING SCHOOL THIS (WEDNESDAY) AFTERNOON: -

GOVERNOR: I DON'T WANT TO GIVE A PRESS CONFERENCE NOW BECAUSE I AM SPEAKING TONIGHT AND I AM GIVING A SPEECH ON FRIDAY, QUITE A BIG SPEECH AT THE CONFERENCE ORGANISED BY THE FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW. BUT I COULDN'T COME TO THE TRAINING SCHOOL WITHOUT SAYING A WORD OR TWO ABOUT OUR POLICE FORCE. I'VE JUST SAID TO THE STAFF AND SOME OF THOSE ON THE COURSES IN THE MESS THAT, I THINK, WE HAVE HERE IN HONG KONG ONE OF THE FINEST, MOST PROFESSIONAL POLICE FORCES IN THE WORLD.

I AM DELIGHTED TO SEE THE TRAINING SCHOOL AND TO SEE WHAT AN EXTREMELY COMPETENT JOB IS BEING DONE HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STANDARDS WHICH HAVE BEEN SET BY OUR POLICE FORCE CONTINUE INTO THE FUTURE. WE SOMETIMES PERHAPS TAKE FOR GRANTED THE COMPETENCE AND BRAVERY OF THOSE WHO SECURE LAW AND ORDER HERE IN HONG KONG, BUT, WE SHOULD NEVER FORGET HOW MUCH WE DEPEND ON THEM, NOT ONLY FOR OUR STABILITY BUT ALSO FOR HONG KONG BEING AS PROSPEROUS AND AS SUCCESSFUL AND AS HAPPY A PLACE AS IT IS. I AM VERY PLEASED THAT RECRUITMENT FIGURES HAVE REMAINED GOOD. THAT'S A TRIBUTE TO THE POLICE AND I WANT TO ASSURE THEM AND I WANT TO ASSURE THE WHOLE COMMUNITY THAT WE INTEND TO GIVE OUR POLICE ALL THE RESOURCES THAT THEY REQUIRE, ALL THE HELP THAT THEY REQUIRE, ALL THE MORAL ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT THAT THEY REQUIRE. THEY ARE A VERY FINE FORCE AND WE'VE GOT EVERY REASON TO BE PROUD OF THEM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED.

HK BUILDS FOR ITSELF AND CHINA

WHILE HONG KONG IS BUILDING AND INVESTING то MAINTAIN ITS ECONOMIC GROWTH, IT IS, AT THE SAME TIME, BUILDING FOR CHINA, THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, MR GORDON SIU, SAID THIS {WEDNESDAY) MORNING.

SPEAKING AT THE CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORT CONFERENCE,

MR

SIU SAID:

"

FAILURE ΤΟ MEET DEMAND FOR OUR PORT AND AIRPORT FACILITIES WOULD HARM NOT ONLY HONG KONG BUT ALSO PROSPECTS FOR CONTINUING GROWTH IN SOUTHERN CHINA AND THE NEIGHBOURING PEARL RIVER DELTA IN

PARTICULAR.

TT

IN

MR SIU SAID THE NEW PORT AND AIRPORT FACILITIES BEING BUILT CHINA WOULD COMPLEMENT RATHER THAN PROVIDE A SUBSTITUTE FOR CONTINUING EXPANSION OF HONG KONG'S FACILITIES.

"TO PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE CHINA IS PLANNING, BY THE END OF THIS CENTURY, TO CONSTRUCT 10 NEW CONTAINER TERMINALS WHICH

BE WILL CAPABLE OF HANDLING SOME 5 MILLION TEUS: EQUIVALENT TO ABOUT HALF HONG KONG'S PROJECTED THROUGHPUT OF CONTAINERS IN THE CURRENT YEAR.

OF

/"FAR FROM