TNAG-2599-FCO40-3787-Appointment-of-Chris-Patten-as-new-Governor-of-Hong-Kong--Ap-1992 — Page 55

CONFIDENTIAL

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MDLIAN 6072

SINCE THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF YOUR APPOINTMENT, I KNOW YOU HAVE SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME READING, THINKING AND TALKING ABOUT HONG KONG AND HONG KONG AFFAIRS. YOU HAVE MET A WIDE RANGE OF

PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT VIEWS AND PERSPECTIVES. I ALSO KNOW THAT

YOU ARE NOW ANXIOUS TO GET OUT AND ABOUT AND MEET ORDINARY

PEOPLE.

"

AS YOU TRAVEL AROUND THE TERRITORY I AM SURE YOU WILL BE STRUCK BY ALL THAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED. IN PHYSICAL, SOCIAL AND

POLITICAL TERMS THERE HAVE BEEN GREAT CHANGES. BUT YOU WILL ALSO

FIND THAT THE FUNDAMENTAL VALUES WHICH HAVE MADE THIS PROGRESS

POSSIBLE HAVE NOT CHANGED. THE DETERMINATION TO IMPROVE THE

QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ONE'S FAMILY THROUGH HARD WORK AND ENTERPRISE

REMAINS THE PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTIC OF OUR COMMUNITY.

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ALTHOUGH THE PLANS FOR OUR FUTURE HAVE BEEN CAREFULLY LAID

AND A GREAT DEAL HAS BEEN ACHIEVED TO ENSURE THAT HONG KONG CONTINUES TO FLOURISH FOR MAY YEARS TO COME, THERE ARE OF COURSE MANY PROBLEMS WHICH STILL REMAIN TO BE TACKLED. THERE IS ALSO SOME UNDERLYING UNCERTAINTY PRESENT IN THE COMMUNITY AS WE MOVE

FORWARD TOWARDS 1997 IT WOULD BE SURPRISING IF IT WERE NOT SO, FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE ARE NATURALLY SOMEWHAT APPREHENSIVE ABOUT THEIR FUTURE. SIR, THE COMMUNITY WILL LOOK TO YOU TO GUIDE US THROUGH THESE NEXT FIVE VITAL YEARS AND IT HAS HIGH EXPECTATIONS OF ITS GOVERNOR AND ITS GOVERNMENT. BUT I HOPE IT MAY BE OF SOME COMFORT TO YOU THAT IN ALL YOU DO YOU WILL HAVE THE TOTAL, AND

LOYAL SUPPORT OF A DEDICATED CIVIL SERVICE.

THE GOVERNORSHIP OF HONG KONG NEVER HAS BEEN AN EASY JOB AND YOUR PERIOD IN OFFICE WILL HAVE THE ADDED DIMENSION OF COINCIDING

WITH THE MOST IMPORTANT PERIOD IN HONG KONG'S HISTORY. BUT, SIR, YOUR HIGH REPUTATION PRECEDES YOU. WE BELIEVE WE ARE INDEED FORTUNATE THAT YOU ARE TO BE OUR GOVERNOR AND WE WARMLY WELCOME

YOU TO HONG KONG.

WILSON

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CONFIDENTIAL