TNAG-2596-FCO40-3784-Appointment-of-Chris-Patten-as-new-Governor-of-Hong-Kong--Ap-1992 — Page 49

-4-

confidence.

Because no-one is above the law, the law serves

everyone.

You have as well a Government in which citizens

participate at every level, a Government supported by a fine

public service.

It

Flourishing in this environment, Hong Kong has the best

example in the post-war world of an open market economy.

is open in two senses: open to all the many talents of those

who work in it; and open to the world with which it trades

with such spectacular success.

So much for the present.

But what of the future? I

would like to make five brief points this afternoon.

First, we can best secure our future tomorrow by our

success today. That is true of our economy and true of our

Government. The strongest safeguard for our governing

institutions will be the effectiveness, vigour and good sense

with which they operate. All of us who participate in the

running of Hong Kong have serious work to do. I look

forward to co-operating with those who share my aim -

everything we can to improve and strengthen the Government of

Hong Kong in the unique circumstances in which history has

requier

to do

x placed us. Those circumstances(put a premium or a spirit of rather than

хь

mature co-operation in the business of government net sterile

partisanship.

CP1AKL