ENG-1989 — Page 414

HISTORY

late 1960s, man-made fibres and made-up garments. Although the share of total exports held by textiles and clothing has declined over the past 10 years, these still make up around 40 per cent of domestic exports by value. While textiles remain the mainstay of Hong Kong's economy, major contributions are made by electronic products, watches and clocks, plastic goods and other light industries.

Associated with events in China, 1966 saw mounting tension in Hong Kong which during 1967 developed into a series of civil disturbances affecting all aspects of life and temporarily paralysing the economy. But, by year-end, the disturbances were contained and the community continued its tradition of peaceful progress.

In development of the post-war years, Hong Kong has continued to build up its role as an entrepôt with its neighbours and trade with China has been no exception. Coupled with tourism, this had led to vast improvements in communications with an increasing number of people entering China from or through Hong Kong, its natural gateway, each year. The territory's major carrier, Cathay Pacific, and the Civil Aviation Administration of China operate scheduled, and a considerable number of charter, services between Hong Kong and cities in China, and a new airline, Hong Kong Dragon Airlines, now operates non-scheduled services to a number of cities in China. The Kowloon-Canton Railway runs, jointly with Guangzhou's railway administration, express 'through' trains between Kowloon and Guangzhou; several direct bus services, including a British and Chinese joint venture, operate different routes into Guangdong and other parts of southern China; and there are several daily ferry services to Guangzhou and other ports in South China. Hoverferries operate on some of these services.

To keep pace with the development, strong emphasis is placed by the government on infrastructural improvements. An estimated $9,900 million is being spent on numerous public works projects in 1989-90, representing about 14 per cent of total public expendi- ture. The territory has been completely transformed into a modern city with efficient road and rail links, tunnels and flyovers, as well as multi-lane highways which have opened up many hitherto remote areas.

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The development of Hong Kong's economic base has enabled the government to increase spending on education, housing, health and social welfare over the years from $6,760 million in 1979-80 to an estimated $35,610 million in 1989-90.

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Starting with emergency measures to house some 50 000 people made homeless in the Shek Kip Mei squatter fire in 1953, Hong Kong's public housing programme now provides rental and self-owned flats of an increasingly higher standard for about 2.8 million people, or half the population.

The programme, given impetus by the Long Term Housing Strategy to provide affordable housing for all those in need by the turn of the century, is being implemented by the Housing Authority.

Expenditure on education facilities and improvements for Hong Kong's young and vibrant population has always been one of the major considerations in budget preparations and there are now free and compulsory primary and junior secondary school places for every student up to the age of 15.

In the field of social welfare, major advances have been made by both the government and voluntary agencies in the past decade, with expenditure increasing from $690 million in 1979-80 to $4,108 million during 1989–90.

The medical and health services are also undergoing vigorous development programmes which will provide three more major acute government hospitals and some 16 additional clinics and polyclinics over the next decade.

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