TNAG-2599-FCO40-3787-Appointment-of-Chris-Patten-as-new-Governor-of-Hong-Kong--Ap-1992 — Page 61

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 1044

OF 0113OOZ JULY 92

AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

163430

MDHOAN 6681

SECTION TWO OF TWO.

STRICTLY PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM PS/MR PATTEN

PEKING PERSONAL FOR HMA

UKREP JLG PERSONAL FOR SENIOR REP

MIPT: INAUGURATION SPEECH BY THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN

23.

WHEN THE AIRPORT AND THE NEW PORT, AND THE BRIDGES, AND THE RAILWAYS, AND THE LAND RECLAMATION AND THE ROADS, ARE COMPLETED WE KNOW THAT THE WHOLE PROJECT WILL ACT AS A DYNAMO FOR FURTHER WEALTH CREATION, NOT JUST IN HONG KONG BUT IN GUANDONG, AND MORE WIDELY IN SOUTHERN CHINA WHOSE FLOURISHING ECONOMIC LINKS WITH THE TERRITORY ARE TO THE BENEFIT OF US ALL. THE AIRPORT WILL CONFIRM OUR PLACE AT THE CROSSROADS OF THE ASIAN ECONOMY.

24. TO RETAIN OUR ECONOMIC STRENGTH, WE ALSO HAVE TO ATTEND TO MORE PAROCHIAL BUT IMPORTANT CONCERNS. WE HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, TO CONTINUE TO BATTLE AGAINST INFLATION, HARD-FOUGHT THOUGH THAT BATTLE IS BOUND TO BE. WHEN THE PUBLIC EXPRESS ANXIETY ABOUT THE RATE OF INFLATION, THEY ARE WHOLLY RIGHT TO DO SO.

卢雪。

INFLATION IS A CUNNING ENEMY, AN ENEMY WE IGNORE AT OUR PERIL.

25. (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) THIRDLY, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE REMAIN A LOW TAX ECONOMY IN WHICH PUBLIC SPENDING IS KEPT UNDER PRUDENT CONTROL. BUT IT IS RIGHT THAT WE SHOULD BE FREE TO USE SOME OF THE WEALTH WE GENERATE AS A COMMUNITY TO HELP THOSE OF OUR FELLOW CITIZENS WHO FALL BY THE WAYSIDE AND TO MAKE OUR SOCIETY EVER MORE CIVILISED. I KNOW HOW MUCH THIS COMMUNITY CARES ABOUT THE EDUCATION OF OUR CHILDREN, ABOUT THE CARE OF THE ELDERLY, ABOUT HOUSING, ABOUT THE DISABLED, AND ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH WE LIVE. I INTEND THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD ATTACH TO THESE ISSUES THE PRIORITY THEY DESERVE. I LOOK FORWARD TO SAYING MORE ABOUT THEM IN MY SPEECH TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN OCTOBER.