TNAG-0267-FCO40-303-Activities-of-Hong-Kong-Civic-Association-1970 — Page 34

Address to Toastmistress Club on Wednesday, March 25, 1970, 5:45 p.m.

at Club Lusitano, 11th Floor, 16 Ice House Street, Hong Kong

Hilton Cheong-Leen, Chairman, Hong Kong Civic Association,

HONG KONG CHARTING THE 70'S

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25.

Today, it is my privilege to address you as Chairman of the Civic Association on some of the ideas which we in the Civic Associati^n have thought about and which we believe could materialize with the support of local community leaders during the decade of the 70's.

The Civic Association enters the decade of the 70's confident in our ability to effect enough changes so that our 4 million population can look forward to continuously improving social services, rising living standards, and greater opportunity to participate in leisure, culture and the affairs of Government. Towards this broad objective, we will concentrate our efforts on three key areas of change which will affect the long-teman future of Hong Kong.

AREAS OF CHANGE

Firstly, we will seek to give more opportunity to talented and experienced local people to participate in the decision making processes of the Hong Kong Government. Through continuous pressure upon the Goverment for constitutional reform, local people will progressively be able to assume more responsibility for change in their daily lives, to take the initiative, to improve their environment and not to depend entirely upon the Government.

Secondly, we will seek to create and build a Hong Kong Identity not in terms of a national identity since Hong Kong cannot become an independent state but the kind of identity which only a unique international city `ke Hong Kong can aspire to, bearing in mind that our population, although international in character, is still 98% of Chinese race and cultural background.

A Hong Kong Identity will blend the Chinese cultural character with the technological and scientific advance of the Western world; it will project a modern quality of life in Asia; it will anticipate richer material, social. and cultural experiences and expectations; it will constantly question and adapt new values, absorb new ideas, seek new aspirations and new goals.

The Chinese in Hong Kong come from all parts of China. They represent an amalgam of dialects and as many variat ons of regional customs and foods. Together with the other nationalities Living in Hong Kong, they are a vibrant and dynamic community who are engrossed in making money, in economic growth and social development, and continuously searching for a letter life for the individual and the family.

The Hong Kong Identity that the Civic Association seeks to create can be realized in practical terms by providing greater economic, social and political benefits to our people, both young and old, co that they in turn would want to carry out their responsibilities as Hong Kong citizens with pride and with courage.

Thirdly, the Civic Association in the decade of the 70's will give every suppor and encouragement to our young people to acquire the finer education which the community can afford. Hong Kong has made great strides in industrial development, and we can all be proud of our achievements. However, in educational services, we are still lagging behind. Within this decade, we should aim for an educational system as nearly equal to that of Japan as our resources will allow. Through a better education system, Hong Kong's greatest asset, its people, will become more productive, mure self-reliant, and more committed to guiding the future of Hong Kong.

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