TNAG-1159-FCO40-1439-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Hong-Kong--1982 — Page 99

00 HONG KONG DESKBY 270100Z

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TELEGRAM NUMBER 576 OF 26 JULY

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YOUR TELNO 745 : PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT

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WE

1. WE HAVE RECEIVED DRAFTS FROM DOI AND DOT RESPECTIVELY OF

SPEECHES FOR THE CASTLE PEAK OPENING AND THE BUSINESSMEN'S LUNCH, AND SHALL CHECK THESE WITH CHRISTIAN ADAMS, AS YOU SUGGEST.

HAVE DRAFTED AN INTRODUCTION FOR THE LUNCH SPEECH AS FOLLOWS:

BEGINS: I SHOULD LIKE TO BEGIN BY SAYING HOW IMPRESSED I HAVE

BEEN DURING MY VISIT BY HONG KONG AND HER PEOPLE. I AM ONLY

SORRY THAT MY STAY IS SO BRIEF. HOWEVER, I HAVE BEEN REINFORCED

IN MY IMPRESSIONS OF HONG KONG, AS A VIBRANT SOCIETY WITH A

DYNAMIC AND INDUSTRIOUS POPULATION. IT IS FULL OF LIFE AND

VIGOUR.

THERE HAVE OF COURSE BEEN CHANGES SINCE I WAS LAST HERE IN 1977

NEW TOWNS AND INDUSTRIAL ESTATES HAVE SPRUNG UP IN THE NEW

TERRITORIES, THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY HAS OPENED. HONG KONG HAS

BECOME EVEN MORE OF A FORCE IN THE ECONOMIC LIFE OF THE FAR EAST

AND THE WORLD.

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NOT EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE 1977 HAS BEEN WELCOME. BUT

I AM IMPRESSED WITH THE WAY IN WHICH HONG KONG HAS DEALT WITH THE

PROBLEMS OF WORLD RECESSION, AND THE FLOW OF IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES

INTO THE TERRITORY. INDEED, SINCE I WAS LAST HERE, HONG KONG HAS

SUSTAINED AN IMPRESSIVE ANNUAL GROWTH RATE OF BETWEEN 8 AND 10 PER

CENT. WHEN ONE CONSIDERS THAT, WITH AN AREA OF ONLY SOME 400 SQUARE

MILES, HONG KONG HAD A GDP IN 1980 OF OVER POUNDS 10,000 MILLION,

ONE CAN ONLY EXPRESS AMAZEMENT AND ADMIRATION.

I WOULD NOT LIKE TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT IT IS ONLY IN THE

COMMERCIAL FIELD THAT HONG KONG IS WORTHY OF ADMIRATION.

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