TNAG-1234-FCO40-1547-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 16

Xeu Everine Port 13/1/63 (Pditorial)

Urico discusses self rule by IK neuple

It was a

At the animal Urban Council debate held the day before yesterday, a number of councillors spoke on Hong Kong's future. lively debate. Dr Denny Huang, in a forceful spooch, pointed out that favourable conditions exist for self rule by HK people.

Urbon's chairman Hilton Cheong-Leen said, "As HK people,

Mio do indeed en aspiration..

we must have confidence in our own future."

inspired remark,

Mr Cheong-Leen went on to say: Hong Kong is neither one hundred per cent Sinoliged nor one hundred per cent Anglicized. It will be playing an important role in China's modernisation process for a long time to come. If the China-Britain-Hong Kong tripartite arrangement could be prolonged for thirty years, it would provide tremendous bonefit to China. In thirty years' time the living standards of the Chinese people will have progressed to such a level that the reversion of Hong Kong to China will be taken as a matter of course.

The two 'naithers' put forward by chairman Cheong-Leen is a perfect embodiment of his wisdom to avoid going to either extreme. Hong Kong being an open and free port and the meeting point of Chinese and western cultures is indeed adulterated in many respects. However, the full percentage of one hundred being ruled out, an analysis of the percentage proportion of either element is still called for. Minety-eight percent of HK's population are Chinese and the British only make up a fraction of a per cent. The absolute disparity is evident

to all. Sovereignty over Hong Kong is one hundred per cent vested in China and

Britain has none of it.

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Kilton Cheong-Leen maintained that Hong Kong can make substantial contribution to China's modernisation and that living standards within China will

go up. This amply demonstrates his patriotism and his high hopes for the motherland. But his suggestion that Hong Kong reverts to China after thirty years when living standarde within China will have reached a commensurate level reflects inadequate thinking on his part. It has apparently not occurred to Mr Cheong-Leen that disparity in living standards invariably exisis within a country. In the United Kingdow, for example, living standards in certain districts are lower than that in others and

unemployment more serious. The percentage of pregnancy allowance claimed by young ladies is specially high in these less affluent districts. The living standards in Northern Ireland are lower than that of England. The disparity in living standards has never before been taken as ground to oppose the exercise of sovereignty rights. Beijing has stated that in exercising its sovereignty rights appropriate measures will be taken to maintain K's prosperity. HK people should never worry about decline

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