XN000022-1994-10-05 — Page 7

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1994

GOVERNOR GIVES BROADCAST ON POLICY ADDRESS

CHRISTOPHER

FOLLOWING IS THE SCRIPT OF THE GOVERNOR THE RT HON PATTEN'S BROADCAST ON TELEVISION AND RADIO THIS (WEDNESDAY) EVENING:

TEN YEARS AGO,

BRITAIN AND CHINA SIGNED THE JOINT DECLARATION ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE. BRITAIN AND CHINA TOGETHER PROMISED HONG KONG THAT ITS FREE ENTERPRISE WAY OF LIFE WOULD NOT COME TO AN END AFTER 1997 AND THAT WE WOULD ALL WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT HONG KONG'S PRESENT SUCCESS ITS STABILITY AND ITS PROSPERITY WILL CONTINUE LONG AFTER 1997.

AFTER 10 YEARS OF THE TRANSITION, AND WITH EXACTLY 1,000 DAYS REMAINING BEFORE JULY 1, 1997, IT IS A GOOD TIME TO TAKE STOCK. ΤΟ LOOK BACK AT WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED AND AT WHAT REMAINS TO BE DONE.

I DON'T THINK ANYONE SERIOUSLY DOUBTS THAT HONG KONG HAS BEEN BOTH STABLE AND PROSPEROUS IN THE PAST 10 YEARS. IT WOULD BE HARD TO FIND A MORE SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. LET ME GIVE YOU A FEW EXAMPLES OF WHAT I MEAN

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WE HAVE SEEN THE GENERAL LEVEL OF CRIME FALL BY 10 PER CENT, BUT OF COURSE WE MUST GO ON WORKING FOR FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS IN CONTAINING CRIME AND PROSECUTING CRIMINALS. HONG KONG IS A SAFE CITY BY INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS BUT WE MUST MAKE IT EVEN SAFER.

WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE PROPORTION OF FAMILIES OWNING THEIR OWN HOMES FROM 31 PER CENT TO 48 PER CENT, AND THIS FIGURE WILL RISE FURTHER IN THE FUTURE.

WE то

HAVE SEEN AN EQUALLY DRAMATIC INCREASE FROM 3 PER CENT 18 PER CENT IN THE PROPORTION OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE STUDYING FOR DEGREES IN HONG KONG.

THIS IS WHAT WE MEAN BY A STABLE COMMUNITY. A COMMUNITY IN WHICH THE QUALITY OF LIFE IS STEADILY IMPROVING AND A COMMUNITY IN WHICH EVERYONE CAN SHARE IN THE FRUITS OF SUCCESS.

IN TERMS OF

SINCE 1984 :

PROSPERITY, THE RECORD IS EQUALLY

IMPRESSIVE.

REAL EARNINGS HAVE INCREASED BY 66 PER CENT.

OUR GDP, THE TOTAL WEALTH OF OUR BUSINESSES AND FAMILIES, HAS INCREASED BY 79 PER CENT IN REAL TERMS.

SO HONG KONG HAS BEEN BOTH STABLE AND PROSPEROUS SINCE THE SIGNING OF THE JOINT DECLARATION. THIS IS A REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT WHEN YOU CONSIDER HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE PREPARED TO WRITE HONG KONG OFF BACK IN 1984.

/WE IN