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# HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
## ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
Chairman (in English):—Ladies and Gentlemen, the meeting is called to order.
## MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on 9 October 1984 were confirmed.
## STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-Together with four other Urban Councillors---Mr. L. H. KWAN, Mr. LAM Chak-piu, Mr. TONG Kam-biu and Dr. Ronald LEUNG I participated in the recently held 4th International Union of Local Authorities Large Cities Forum in Osaka.
The several hundred participants included mayors and civic leaders from over 120 different cities of the world, ranging from Addis Abeba to Valparaiso, and of course from the host nation of Japan.
Besides Osaka, the Urban Council delegation also visited the ancient Japanese capital of Kyoto and the bustling, yet pleasing, city of Yokohama. Both Osaka and Yokohama are port cities which have ambitious, yet very exciting, development plans extending into the 21st century.
The main theme of the Osaka Forum was 'Towards the City of Vitality', and the Hong Kong delegation presented papers on the sub-themes of---
(a) Demographic Developments;
(b) Economic Activities and Employment; and (c) Urban Redevelopment.
Speaking with many of the Forum delegates left me with the impression that dwellers in large cities have become more conscious of environmental conditions. They are not happy to spend their lives in the shadow of multi-storey tenements, amid traffic congestion, noise and air pollution. They want their neighbourhoods to be much better for human habitation, and places where their children can grow up in a healthy and happy atmosphere.
Those of us who participated in this international Forum have returned to Hong Kong even more committed than ever to ensuring that the Urban Council fulfils its role to provide our 4 million residents in the ten urban districts with the best possible environmental, recreational, cultural, sports and leisure services within the Council's resources and capabilities.
## HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
In particular, the Urban Council will co-operate as much as possible with the District Boards in organizing traditional festivals, providing more cultural, recreational and sports facilities; in short, doing everything in its ambit to create a living environment in each urban district which will give residents a sense of pride and of belonging to their District.
Following our exchange of views at the Large Cities Forum in Osaka, I am surer than ever that we in the Urban Council will do our full share to preserving Hong Kong as an international city of vitality and progress that will carry us well into the 21st century.
A number of mayors inquired about Hong Kong's future after 1997. I explained that the Sino-British Agreement on Hong Kong should be officially signed before the end of the year, giving Hong Kong a longer lease of life as a capitalist economy until the year 2047 under the 'One Country-two Systems' concept.
Where it took Japan about 80 years commencing from the Meiji era in the mid-19th century to basically complete its modernization, China with its large population should require another 40 years at least even in these days of instant communication. And Hong Kong people, for the sake of Hong Kong's own future prosperity, can and must play a dynamic role in China's modernization and her progress towards a pragmatic socialism with unique characteristics based on 5,000 years of Chinese history.
## PAPER
The following paper was laid on the table:-
(1) Report to the Urban Council by the Director of Urban Services and Secretary, Urban Council, for the month of October, 1984.
## QUESTIONS
1. MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG asked the following question (in English):—The Tea Ware Museum at the Flagstaff House was open in January this year. Could this Council be informed of its average daily attendance by the public? Could this particular Museum be used to exhibit objects other than tea wares?
The SECRETARY, URBAN COUNCIL, on behalf of DR. PHILIP C. K. Kwok, CHAIRMAN OF THE MUSEUMS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English): For the first eight months of operation, the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware recorded a total attendance of 79,000, averaging about 430 visitors a day.
Page 126 of 233
212
Page 126 of 233
212
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
Chairman (in English):—Ladies and Gentlemen, the meeting is called to order.
MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on 9 October 1984 were confirmed.
STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-Together with four other Urban Councillors---Mr. L. H. KWAN, Mr. LAM Chak-piu, Mr. TONG Kam-biu and Dr. Ronald LEUNG I participated in the recently held 4th International Union of Local Authorities Large Cities Forum in Osaka.
The several hundred participants included mayors and civic leaders from over 120 different cities of the world, ranging from Addis Abeba to Valparaiso, and of course from the host nation of Japan.
Besides Osaka, the Urban Council delegation also visited the ancient Japanese captial of Kyoto and the bustling, yet pleasing, city of Yokohama. Both Osaka and Yokohama are port cities which have ambitious, yet very exciting, development plans extending into the 21st century.
The main theme of the Osaka Forum was 'Towards the City of Vitality', and the Hong Kong delegation presented papers on the sub-themes of---
(a) Demographic Developments;
(b) Economic Activities and Employment; and (c) Urban Redevelopment.
Speaking with many of the Forum delegates left me with the impression that dwellers in large cities have become more conscious of environmental conditions. They are not happy to spend their lives in the shadow of multi- storey tenements, amid traffic congestion, noise and air pollution. They want their neighbourhoods to be much better for human habitation, and places where their children can grow up in a healthy and happy atmosphere.
Those of us who participated in this international Forum have returned to Hong Kong even more committed than ever to ensuring that the Urban Council fulfils its role to provide our 4 million residents in the ten urban districts with the best possible environmental, recreational, cultural, sports and leisure services within the Council's resources and capabilities.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
In particular, the Urban Council will co-operate as much as possible with the District Boards in organizing traditional festivals, providing more cultural, recreational and sports facilities; in short, doing everything in its ambit to create a living environment in each urban district which will give residents a sense of pride and of belonging to their District.
Following our exchange of views at the Large Cities Forum in Osaka, I am surer than ever that we in the Urban Council will do our full share to preserving Hong Kong as an international city of vitality and progress that will carry us well into the 21st century.
A number of mayors inquired about Hong Kong's future after 1997. I explained that the Sino-British Agreement on Hong Kong should be officially signed before the end of the year, giving Hong Kong a longer lease of life as a capitalist economy until the year 2047 under the 'One Country-two Systems'
concept.
Where it took Japan about 80 years commencing from the Meiji era in the mid-19th century to basically complete its modernization, China with its large population should require another 40 years at least even in these days of instant communication. And Hong Kong people, for the sake of Hong Kong's own future prosperity, can and must play a dynamic role in China's modernization and her progress towards a pragmatic socialism with unique characteristics based on 5 000 years of Chinese history.
PAPER
The following paper was laid on the table:-
(1) Report to the Urban Council by the Director of Urban Services and
Secretary, Urban Council, for the month of October, 1984.
QUESTIONS
1. MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG asked the following question (in English):—The Tea Ware Museum at the Flagstaff House was open in January this year. Could this Council be informed of its average daily attendance by the public? Could this particular Museum be used to exhibit objects other than tea wares?
The SECRETARY, URBAN COUNCIL, on behalf of DR. PHILIP C. K. Kwok, CHAIRMAN OF THE MUSEUMS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English): For the first eight months of operation, the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware recorded a total attendance of 79 000, averaging about 430 visitors a day.
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