TNAG-2032-FCO40-2895-Visit-by-Douglas-Hurd--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Co-1990 — Page 16

16 JAN '90 11:18 FROM COI TECHNICAL RADIO

TO FCO NEWS

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HONG KONG 16 JAX 90

FORRIGE SECRETARY (COBT):

But actually the main impression I will carry back to London

this evening is not one of the anxieties and the problems, although

Hong Kong has more than its share of problems.

I knew Hong Kong a bit 30 years ago, or 25 years ago, and of

course I knew that it had transformed itself several times since I

was last here with Ars Thatcher. But I had not entirely been

prepared for the impact of those changes on the visitor. This is

one of the world's most modern cities, a fabulous skyline, a first-

class transport system, a public housing programme second to none

and far superior to most being operated in Europe. It is the

world's 11th largest trading entity and ranks just above the

Republic of Korea, a country which has over 6 times Hong Kong's

population.

That much everyone in this room knows. What I had not

entirely deen prejarea lui. was the plan, the plans to traasform

Hong Kong yet again. I have been briefed on these and I have flown

over the new territories and the islands and seen the scale of what

is proposed: a new airport with a capacity for 80 million

passengers a year, that is more than Heathrow and Gatwick together

are handling now; a port development which will take Hong Kong

from its present position when it is already the world's largest

container port, to a position where it will be more than 5 times

its present size early in the next century; 250 miles of new

roads; up to 10 major new tunnels;

several new tows; and public

housing for 2 million people over the next 10 years. I am told the

size of these projects is unique in the world today.