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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Having said so much about the reasons for the formulation, I do not wish to conceal the fact that the proposal is heavily centred on the interest of China in that it is engineered to maintain status quo for Hong Kong as much as possible for the purposes of attracting the capitalist countries to make use of Hong Kong as a base and bridge for investment in and trading with China by virtue of its availability of monetary resources, opportunities of manipulation and facilities of trading go-between. It is only through investment and trading that new and advanced technology can be more readily introduced into China. Therefore, in the interest of China, it is essential for Hong Kong to maintain its prosperity and stability without which it can hardly carry out its above important functions. However, its prosperity and stability depend on the continuous support from the capitalist countries which have provided Hong Kong with markets for over 90% of her domestic exports, especially United States (over 36%), United Kingdom (over 9%) and West Germany (over 8%). It would be disastrous for our industries, commerce, employment and economy if those supports should be withdrawn.
Therefore, the continuous prosperity and stability depend on the continuous confidence and support of all parties who have contributed to the building up of Hong Kong to today's status. Such confidence and support depend on many factors. Parties and factors alike, they are all inter-related and are as complicated as the systems of a giant computer. Undue modification and/or removal of parts of the systems may result in partial or total loss of function.
On the one hand, China can offer a great number of things which the capitalist countries need. On the other hand, China is also in need of support from those capitalist countries, especially Great Britain and United States, in respect of advanced technology, investments and markets. The reciprocated need and satisfaction of the two camps should work well to establish a direct relation in between, had it not been impeded by distrust for reasons given earlier. They therefore need a third party to act as a bridge. This third party must be someone both camps can trust. Hong Kong has all the necessary ingredients to win such trust. The ingredients are:-
(a) The present British constitutional system is based on the Magna Carta of 1215 and has thus had a history of stability and prosperity for more than 700 years. The system and the Government under it have won confidence from the capitalist countries which have founded their own constitutional systems fundamentally on the same system as the British. Therefore, the British rule of Hong Kong is desirable to ensure continuity of those countries' confidence in and support of Hong Kong. This is the first section of the bridge.
(b) Despite differences in political stance, the Chinese in Mainland China and in Hong Kong have successfully built up mutual trust and fine relation because of needs and national feeling. This is the second section on the other end of the bridge.
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(c) The middle section of the bridge is the co-operation of all the people in Hong Kong notwithstanding their nationalities. Their willingness to stay, invest and work in Hong Kong and their harmonious experience of co-operation during a very long history of time have made the very complicated machinery functional. The system and ingredients are so complicated that the analysis of them will be very lengthy. At any rate, it has taken more than a century to develop Hong Kong to today's form. If any vital ingredients of this section should be removed this section would collapse to the detriment of the interest of all parties!
Conclusively speaking, if we want to solve the problem of Hong Kong's future, we must find a formula which is obviously fair and beneficial both to the Chinese population in Mainland and in Hong Kong and to all other countries which have made Hong Kong possible to carry out its above-mentioned functions in the interest of all parties concerned. With that principle in mind, I appeal to the people of Hong Kong to think and act sensibly, reasonably and constructively for the recovery of confidence, prosperity and stability. I make the above proposal for the purpose of inviting constructive comment thereon so that I can eventually arrive at something concrete, constructive, feasible and worth submitting to both the Chinese and the British Governments. Finally, I also appeal to the people of Hong Kong to remain calm and sensible because Hong Kong has been and will still be a place with so much value in it to all countries concerned that there will eventually be a solution to maintain its values especially when both China and Great Britain have already declared their common goal of maintaining the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.
Although the above subjects appear to be outside the jurisdiction of the Urban Council, yet, the future of the Council is inevitably linked with that of Hong Kong. On that premise, the above subjects are to a large extent relevant.
With these remarks, I support the motion.
The Honourable SELINA CHOW (in English):--Mr. Chairman, last year in this debate, I called for the opportunity for our Performing Companies to perform outside of Hong Kong. In the usual efficient style true to Hong Kong, this was achieved only nine months later, when our Chinese Orchestra and our Dance Company, sponsored by the Government, won the hearts of Australian audience by taking part in the Commonwealth Games Festival in Brisbane. The Chinese Orchestra went further to perform at the Sydney Opera House, a rare and treasured occasion by both performers and audience which won favourable reviews.
Last month the Chinese Orchestra, sponsored by a private donor, successfully completed a tour of Singapore.
No doubt more requests of this nature will be made to our Performing Companies as they establish a reputation on the international performing arts scene and such tours deserve the full support of Government and sponsors.
Page 114 of 142
Page 114 of 142
184
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Having said so much about the reasons for the formulation, I do not wish to conceal the fact that the proposal is heavily centred on the interest of China in that it is engineered to maintain status quo for Hong Kong as much as possible for the purposes of attracting the capitalist countries to make use of Hong Kong as a base and bridge for investment in and trading with China by virtue its availability of monetary resources, opportunities of manipulation and facilities of trading go-between. It is only through investment and trading that new and advanced technology can be more readily introduced into China. Therefore, in the interest of China, it is essential for Hong Kong to maintain its prosperity and stability without which it can hardly carry out its above important functions. However, its prosperity and stability depend on the continuous support from the capitalist countries which have provided Hong Kong with markets for over 90% of her domestic exports, especially United Stated (over 36%), United Kingdom (over 9%) and West Germany (over 8%). It would be disastrous for our industries, commerce, employment and economy if those supports should be withdrawn.
Therefore, the continuous prosperity and stability depend on the continuous confidence and support of all parties who have contributed to the building up of Hong Kong to today's status. Such confidence and support depend on many factors. Parties and factors alike, they are all inter-related and are as complicated as the systems of a giant computer. Undue modification and/or removal of parts of the systems may result in partial or total loss of function.
On the one hand, China can offer a great number of things which the capitalist countries need. On the other hand, China is also in need of support from those capitalist countries, especially Great Britain and United States, in respect of advanced technology, investments and markets. The reciprocated need and satisfaction of the two camps should work well to establish a direct relation in between, had it not been impeded by distrust for reasons given earlier. They therefore need a third party to act as a bridge. This Third party must be someone both camps can trust. Hong Kong has all the necessary ingredients to win such trust. The ingredients are:-
(a) The present British constitutional system is based on the Magna CARTA of 1215 and has thus had a history of stability and prosperity for more 700 years. The system and the Government under it have won confidence from the capitalist countries which have founded their own constitutional systems fundamentally on the same system as the British. Therefore, the British rule of Hong Kong is desirable to ensure continuity of those countries' confidence in and support of Hong Kong. This is the first section of the bridge.
(b) Despite differences in political stance, the Chinese in Mainland China and in Hong Kong have successfully built up mutual trust and fine relation because of needs and national feeling. This is the second section on the other end of the bridge.
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(c) The middle section of the bridge is the co-operation of all the people in Hong Kong notwithstanding their nationalities. Their willingness to stay, invest and work in Hong Kong and their harmonious experience of co- operation during a very long history of time have made the very complicated machinery functional. The system and ingredients are so complicated that the analysis of them will be very lengthy. At any rate, it has taken more than a century to develop Hong Kong to today's form. If any vital ingredients of this section should be removed this section would collapse to the detriment of the interest of all parties!
Conclusively speaking, if we want to solve the problem of Hongkong's future, we must find a formula which is obviously fair and beneficial both to the Chinese population in Mainland and in Hong Kong and to all other countries which have made Hong Kong possible to carry out its above-mentioned functions in the interest of all parties concerned. With that principle in mind, I appeal to the people of Hong Kong to think and act sensibly, reasonably and constructively for the recovery of confidence, prosperity and stability. I make the above proposal for the purpose of inviting constructive comment thereon so that I can eventually arrive at something concrete, constructive, feasible and worth submitting to both the Chinese and the British Governments. Finally, I also appeal to the people of Hong Kong to remain calm and sensible because Hong Kong has been and will still be a place with so much values in it to all countries concerned that there will eventually be a solution to maintain its values especially when both China and Great Britain have already declared their common goal of maintaining the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.
Although the above subjects appear to be outside the jurisdiction of the Urban Council, yet, the future of the Council is inevitably linked with that of Hong Kong. On that premises, the above subjects are to a large extent relevant.
With these remarks, I support the motion.
The Honourable SELINA CHOW (in English):--Mr. Chairman, last year in this debate, I called for the opportunity for our Performing Companies to perform outside of Hong Kong. In the usual efficient style true to Hong Kong, this was achieved only nine months later, when our Chinese Orchestra and our Dance Company, sponsored by the Government, won the hearts of Australian audience by taking part in the Commonwealth Games Festival in Brisbane. The Chinese Orchestra went further to perform at the Sydney Opera House, a rare and treasured occasion by both performers and audience which won favourable reviews.
Last month the Chinese Orchestra, sponsored by a private donor, success- fully completed a tour of Singapore.
No doubt more requests of this nature will be made to our Performing Companies as they establish a reputation on the international performing arts scene and such tours deserve the full support of Government and sponsors.
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