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WE HAD 2.2 MILLION TOURISTS, ABOUT 40 PERCENT OF THE FIGURE LAST YEAR:
WE HAD NO BANK BUILDING HIGHER THAN 20 STORIES, NO EXCHANGE SQUARE (BUT 4 STOCK EXCHANGES), NO ACADEMY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, NO TSIM SHA TSUI EAST, NO ABERDEEN TUNNEL AND NO AIRPORT TUNNEL.
101. LET US NOW USE OUR IMAGINATION TO LOOK AHEAD SLIGHTLY MORE THAN 10 YEARS. IN THE YEAR 2000 HONG KONG WILL BE A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. IT WILL HAVE A WHOLLY ELECTED LEGISLATURE. THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE, AND ALL THE MOST SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, WILL BE HONG KONG CHINESE. THEY WILL EXERCISE A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG. THE SAR WILL BE A LEADING REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL CENTRE IN WHICH FOREIGN NATIONALS WILL PLAY AN IMPORTANT PART. AND IT WILL BE PLAYING A FULL ROLE IN A WIDE VARIETY OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS.
102. PHYSICALLY, HONG KONG WILL HAVE CHANGED ALMOST BEYOND RECOGNITION. IT WILL TAKE ABOUT 25 MINUTES TO TRAVEL BY RAIL FROM CENTRAL KOWLOON TO THE NEW AIRPORT AT CHEK LAP KOK. ON THE WAY, YOU WILL GO ALONG THE NEW WEST KOWLOON RECLAMATION AND PASS NEW PORT FACILITIES AT STONECUTTERS ISLAND AND TSING YI. ALTERNATIVELY, YOU COULD TRAVEL FROM CENTRAL TO THE CHINESE BORDER VIA THE NEW WESTERN HARBOUR CROSSING, TSING YI, THE ROUTE 3 TUNNEL TO YUEN LONG AND THE LOK MA CHAU BRIDGE. REDEVELOPMENT WILL BE BEGINNING ON THE PRESENT SITE OF KAI TAK AIRPORT. OUR CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE, BY THEN DOUBLED IN SIZE, WILL BE SOME 300 METRES INLAND. SO WILL EXCHANGE SQUARE. THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT WILL HAVE EXPANDED GREATLY ONTO A NEW RECLAMATION WITH A VARIETY OF NEW CIVIC, CULTURAL AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS AND WITH A CONTINUOUS WALKWAY BESIDE THE HARBOUR LINKING OPEN PARK AREAS.
103. STRIKING SOCIAL CHANGES WILL ALSO HAVE TAKEN PLACE. OUR AMBITIOUS HOUSING PROGRAMME MEANS THAT ABOUT HALF OF OUR HOUSEHOLDS WILL BE LIVING IN SUBSIDISED HOUSING, ALMOST 40 PER CENT OF THEM IN FLATS WHICH THEY OWN THEMSELVES. OUR REVISED EDUCATIONAL TARGETS MEAN THAT AS MANY AS 20 PER CENT OF OUR 19-YEAR OLDS MAY BE STUDYING IN HONG KONG FOR FIRST DEGREES AND ANOTHER 7 PER CENT OF OTHER TERTIARY LEVEL QUALIFICATIONS. OUR STRATEGY FOR FIGHTING POLLUTION MEANS THAT WE WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED OUR ENVIRONMENT, INCLUDING THE AIR THAT WE
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