TNAG-2767-FCO40-3984-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-interviews--press-briefings-and-the--1993 — Page 24

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3 APR 1993

DOING OUR DUTY BYDSKNFECERONG

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PA

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pr. Media

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This is Edward's 1st draf

Jole Gru's article for Easter's Sunday Expren.

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It is a year ago this weekend since the Prime Minister asked

me to be the 28th and Godwilling the last British

Governor of Hong Kong. I accepted, and have not regretted it

for a minute.

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Hong Kong is one of the most remarkable places in the world. With no natural resources, a tiny community of just 6 million

people has turned Hong Kong into the tenth largest economy

and the world's busiest container port a ship enters or

leaves our waters every seven minutes.

Hong Kong is well-known as a hugely successful economy. But

it is more than that. Healthy economic growth nearly 6 per

cent last year, and likely to be so again this year has allowed us to spend generously on social provision. So life expectancy in Hong Kong today is higher than in the United States or Britain, and child mortality is lower.

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It all adds up to an astonishing success story a great tribute to a unique blend of Cantonese and Shanghainese entrepreneurialism and good old British administration, underpinned by a sound rule of law. Those are perhaps two of

our most valuable exports anywhere.

And all of this on a once barren rock in the South China Sea!

Nowadays Hong Kong's importance is growing as China opens up

to the world. Hong Kong is exceptionally well positioned, at

the crossroads of Asia and at the gateway to China.

There is an economic explosion underway in Southern China the

sundayexpress.art JM PERS

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