Vice-Chancellor's Report 1985-87

Th eFutur e o fHon g Kon g and th e Destin y o fChin a Twenty-Eighth Congregation for the Conferment of First Degrees (6th December, 1984) Mr. Pro-Chancellor, Ladies and Gentlemen, The yea r 198 4 ha s been a most unusua l year . Fo r thos e o f you who ar e graduating today , thi s i s th e yea r when , havin g finishe d you r undergraduat e studies, yo u will star t working lif e o r ventur e int o specialize d advanced studies. Whatever you r choice , thi s i s an important mileston e i n your life , an d all of us present — your teachers , relatives , honoure d guest s of the Universit y an d myself included 一 wil l want t o congratulat e you on reaping the rewards of four years of hard work and wish you a bright and propitious future. Fo r Hong Kong, this i s th e yea r whe n it s ow n futur e i s bein g decided , an d it s fat e reache s a turning-point. Fro m thi s poin t onward , Hon g Kon g wil l hav e t o gradually evolve fro m it s presen t mod e o f governanc e int o a position a t whic h it can, step b y step , tak e o n th e responsibilit y o f managin g mos t o f it s ow n affairs . Naturally, suc h a major chang e wit h effect s reachin g int o ever y singl e famil y would generat e a great deal of discussion and speculation. Th e fac t o f the matter is, the real significance and result of this change will probably not be known for anothe r five , te n o r even many mor e year s to come . If w e cas t ou r sight s furthe r an d loo k a t th e whol e o f China , i t wil b e seen that 198 4 is undoubtedly a crucial year for China a s well. I t ha s now been decided that th e reforms which have proved successful in the countryside woul d be introduce d i n the citie s an d in the industries , an d tha t th e experienc e gained from the Special Economic Zones would be extended to fourteen coastal cities; i t has also been announced that the entire economic structure, includin g price, wage , monetar y an d manageria l systems , i s now t o b e overhauled. Wil l these majo r and far-reaching reforms be really carrie d through and thus lead to stable, rapi d progres s an d bring lon g sough t prosperity ? O r wil l the y ye t onc e again run aground in policy shifts ? This mus t be a question which i s constantly being aske d by everyon e i n Hon g Kong , includin g ou r colleague s an d our students who ar e graduating today . I n fact , i t ma y be said that th e future o f all o f us here an d the futur e o f Hong Kong as well have become closel y intertwine d with th e destin y o f China . I f that i s so , the n a t thi s crucia l momen t i t is o f importance tha t Chines e intellectual s i n Hong Kon g shoul d carefull y re-examine their attitud e an d reasses s thei r responsibilit y i n relatio n t o Hon g Kong and China, an d that i s what I propose t o discus s here today . During th e pas t tw o years , man y Hon g Kon g peopl e i n al l walk s o f lif e have spoke n ou t o n th e futur e o f th e Territory , i n particula r wha t it s futur e socio-economic-political syste m shoul d b e like . Man y view s an d suggestion s have bee n put forward , mos t o f them advance d i n th e interes t o f safeguarding the presen t right s o f the loca l peopl e an d preservin g existin g system s an d institutions. Man y o f these views have subsequently been incorporated into th e Sino-British Join t Declaratio n o n the futur e o f Hong Kong . Therefore , although legall y th e futur e o f Hong Kon g has been decided a t the negotiatin g table betwee n the Chinese an d British Governments , i n actua l fact th e effort s of th e Hon g Kon g peopl e t o figh t fo r thei r right s throug h voicin g thei r view s have no t bee n wasted . Thi s i s a n experienc e fro m whic h w e al l shoul d tak e heart. Hon g Kon g wil l soo n be faced wit h ye t mor e majo r politica l issues , as 33