TNAG-2248-FCO40-3231-Trade-investment-conferences-concerning-Hong-Kong-1991 — Page 76

POREIGN SECRETARY

SPEECH

LONDON

16 SEPTEMBER 1991

7

JI JOJU

gloom at each twist and turn of this story.

One of the things which impressed me in Hong Kong on this last

visit when I tried to concentrate on meeting and listening to

businessmen was that I believe there was a greater degree of

assurance, there was a smaller tendency, a lesser tendency, to be

cast up and cast down at each turn of the newspaper headlines and

I hope this steadiness, this greater steadiness, will persist

because I believe the long term future is bright and the long term

future is the key.

Hong Kong changes, China changes, we cannot say exactly how or

when these changes will occur and you would not wish as investors,

I would not wish as a government, to build a policy on the

prospect of change. But my own belief is that China will become

more liberal, both politically and economically, and that of

course would be from the point of view of Hong Kong a much wished

for evolution.

We are

So to conclude, before I answer some questions. The opportunities

in Hong Kong, the actual projects now coming forward connected

with the airport but also going much wider than that are of course

immense and you will be hearing a good deal about this.

talking about one of the world's most prosperous, most buoyant

economies, are talking about a highly skilled, hard working,

disciplined labour force. We are talking about a major market for

British exports, both visible and invisible. We are talking about

the service centre for southern China, a key as I have said to the

expanding and reforming Chinese economy.

We are talking about