Bulletin Spring‧Summer 1980

Speech by the Chief Secretary, Sir Jack Cater Sir Y. K., Dr. Ma, Mr. Fong Shu Chuen, Mr. Fong Yun Wah, Ladies and Gentlemen: It is both an honour and a pleasure for me to be invited to officiate at the opening ceremony of the Fong Shu Chuen Building, a new hom e for the New Asia——Yale-in-China Chinese Language Centre of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. The Chinese Language Centre was founded in 1963 under the joint auspices of New Asia College and the Yale-China Association and has been part of the University since 1974. Over the years, the Centre has been offering Chinese language courses at all levels, designed primarily for non-native speakers of Chinese. I am told that students from all over the world, ranging from absolute beginners to trained sinologists who wish to improve their spoken Chinese or learn a Chinese dialect are admitted for training suitable to their needs and abilities: "absolute" is a term which I suppose academics use carefully and very sparingly, so I had better justify m y use of it now——my son Richard attended one of your intensive Mandarin courses about a year ago, and I have his permission to say that a more absolute, absolute beginner it would be difficult to find. The Vice-Chancellor has aptly remarked that language is the basic medium of communication. This fact, coupled with the standing that the Chinese Language Centre of the University has established in academic circles over the years, and its current move into this new building with more space and better facilities, all combine to ensure that this Centre, and the University, will continue to play an important role in the promotion of better understanding between the people of the east and the west. It is significant to note that the cost of construction of this building amounting to $1.5 million has been borne entirely by the Fong Shu Fook Tong Foundation. This is a most generous gesture on the Foundation's part: to them students from all over the world who come to the Centre for training will owe a debt of gratitude. Finally, I would like to pay particular tribute to Mr. Fong Shu Chuen, the three generations o f his family represented here today, and all others concerned, for their enthusiasm and generosity in making this project possible. It is now m y great pleasure to declare the Fong Shu Chuen Building open. Address by Mr. Fong Yun-wah,M.B.E., J.P. Sir Jack, Sir Yuet-keung, Dr. Ma, Ladies and Gentlemen: First of all I wish to thank the Vice-Chancellor, Dr. M a Lin, for providing m e once again with the opportunity to say a few words here. On behalf of m y family, I would like to extend m y gratitude to the Chief Secretary, the Hon. Sir Jack Cater, for officiating at the opening ceremony for the Fong Shu Chuen Building. When the foundation stone of the building was laid in 1978, I mentioned that we made the donation for two purposes: to facilitate language teaching and studying and to promote international understanding. To m y father and m y family, witnessing the official opening of the building today is mor e than a delight. It is a meaningful beginning and a useful stimulus to our further exertions of contributing to the cause of post-secondary education. There are several reasons for our making the commitment and here I would like to explain some: 1. It is a meaningful way to express m y family's respect and gratitude to m y father; 2. It is a token of thanks to the Hong Kong Government and our friends; 3. It signifies our concern for the education of Hong Kong and the world; 4. It crystallizes our long-upheld belief that what is taken from society should be used in the interest of society ； 5. It shows our very sincere concern for peace, security and prosperity and our efforts towards their attainment. Presently w e are planning to establish an "Asia Pacific Peace Award" which aims at promoting peace and security in Asia. We hope to complete the preliminary groundwork in three years before implementing it by stages. In Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, we intend to continue a number of scholarships, hoping that through these scholarships we will help cultivate more talented young people to serve the community of Hong Kong. To the students of the Language Centre, it is m y sincere hope that while devoting themselves to language studies, they will advocate the rules of good neighbourhood. Only through concerted efforts can mankind maintain peace, security, and prosperity. Ladies and gentlemen, I wish you all good health. Thank you. 1 5