TNAG-1858-FCO40-2633-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-memoranda-and-minutes-of-me-1989 — Page 88

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 26160OZ FCO

TELNO 3193

OF 26115OZ SEPTEMBER 89

INFO DESKBY 27010OZ PEKING

HKB 01115

53,

172716

MDHIAN 7211

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

MY 9TH IPT: MY ADDRESS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL: 11 OCTOBER

DRAFT TEXT ON QUOTE A VISION OF THE FUTURE UNQUOTE IS AS

FOLLOWS:

(7) A VISION OF THE FUTURE

95. MY AIM THIS AFTERNOON HAS BEEN TO SHOW CLEARLY HOW, DESPITE THE SHOCKS WE HAVE EXPERIENCED DURING THE YEAR, YOUR GOVERNMENT IS CONTINUING TO PLAN FOR THE LONG TERM FUTURE OF HONG KONG. WE HAVE A CLEAR VISION OF WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE. IT IS A VISION THAT I HOPE WILL SUSTAIN HONG KONG DURING THE

PRESENT PERIOD OF UNCERTAINTY AND GIVE US ALL CONFIDENCE IN OUR

ABILITY TO OVERCOME WHATEVER PROBLEMS CONFRONT US.

96.

AS A COMMUNITY WE TEND TO TAKE FOR GRANTED WHAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED. BUT ONE HAS ONLY TO LOOK BACK 10 YEARS TO SEE JUST HOW

MUCH THIS HAS BEEN. HONG KONG IN 1979 WAS A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE.

LET ME TAKE A FEW EXAMPLES:

-

OUR RELATIONS WITH CHINA WERE STILL VERY LIMITED. OUR DOMESTIC

EXPORTS TO THE MAINLAND WERE ONLY WORTH DOLLARS 600 MILLION (COMPARED TO DOLLARS 38 BILLION LAST YEAR). WE HAD ONLY RECENTLY OPENED THE AIR LINKS IN DECEMBER 1978, AND THE TRAIN

SERVICES FROM GUANGZHOU WERE RESUMED ONLY ON 4 APRIL:

-

THERE WAS NO UNIVERSAL FRANCHISE AT ANY LEVEL. ONLY

ABOUT 32,000 PEOPLE HAD THE RIGHT TO VOTE IN URBAN COUNCIL ELECTIONS. THE ONLY DISTRICT BOARDS (THOSE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES)

WERE WHOLLY APPOINTED:

ONLY THAT YEAR, JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION WAS FOR THE FIRST TIME MADE FREE AND COMPUSORY FOR CHILDREN BELOW THE AGE OF 15:

-

THE FIRST SECTION OF THE MTR (FROM SHEK KIP MEI TO KWUN TONG)

HAD JUST OPENED ON 30 SEPTEMBER:

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CONFIDENTIAL