UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 3366
OF 1107OOZ OCTOBER 89
AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
UNCLASSIFIED
HKB
Oil
15
774
043311
MDHIAN 9312
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
MY LEGCO ADDRESS: MY SEVENTH IPT: VISION OF THE FUTURE
TEXT OF THE EXTRACT ON QUOTE A VISION OF THE FUTURE UNQUOTE CA COMPARISON OF TEN YEARS AGO WITH TEN YEARS AHEAD) IS AS FOLLOWS:
BEGINS
7. A VISION OF THE FUTURE
TEN
99. 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 ON OUR ABILITY TO OVERCOME WHATEVER PROBLEMS CONFRONT US.
100. AS A COMMUNITY WE TEND TO TAKE FOR GRANTED WHAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED. BUT WE ONLY HAVE TO LOOK BACK 10 YEARS TO SEE JUST HOW MUCH HAS BEEN DONE. 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 DOLLARS600 MILLION (COMPARED TO DOLLARS38 BILLION LAST YEAR). WE HAD ONLY RECENTLY OPENED AIR LINKS IN DECEMBER 1978, AND DIRECT TRAIN SERVICES FROM GUANGZHOU RESTARTED 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 COMPULSORY 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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