TNAG-1038-FCO40-1288-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1981 — Page 44

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Simply put, much shorter time spans would personally worry me more in other countries where investment interest may currently be buoyant and seemingly not worried about factors that could still potentially put investors seriously at risk.

Let me just mention recent experiences in Iran and ask how many among

you skilled observers is able to forecast with any degree of confidence that

there will be no fundamental changes in countries which do not now seem to

suffer from any afflictions, economic or calendarwise? I would therefore

suggest that we re-orient our thinking into an acceptance of the position

as it is today and no longer worry unneccessarily about 1997. By so doing

we can ensure that we maintain an environment in Hong Kong which inspires

the kind of confidence traditionally placed in the territory. This in turn can

provide the basis for the benefits Hong Kong can offer to China, and thus

better guarantee its future.

I am reminded here of the poem entitled "Hong Kong" written by the

"poet laureate" Ai Qing and published in "Ren Min Ribao" on 28th March,

1981. It may be of significance that while the poem was written back in

August 1980 and revised on 21st February, 1981 it was only published on the eve of Lord Carrington's visit to China. The poem concludes with

these lines which read (in free translation ) :-

You're the main artery of entry and exit for the motherland; You're the marketplace where goods are freely exchanged; You're the conveyor belt, bringing goodwill and friendship; You're the bridge that reaches towards the four seas and

the five continents;

For many years you have served the motherland,

creating for her

Sources of inestimable wealth.

Frankly, I wish we could have similar sentiments expressed for

other places especially in poetry to depict an understanding of the advantages

available in maintaining the status quo. I would feel relatively more assured

by such poems than by a large volume of statistics, professional analyses

or diplomatic exchanges labouring the point. On 8th April a local newspaper

published an editorial on this subject under the title "A Comfortable Seat