President Bauer, Mr Bong, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to this World Federation of Engineering Organisations' General Assembly and Congress. And I would like to extend a particularly warm welcome to all our overseas visitors.

I am delighted that the Federation has chosen to hold this prestigious international engineering event in Hong Kong in this historic year of our transition. The fact that we are all sitting here this morning despite the financial turmoil around us speaks volumes about Hong Kong's stability. The almost seamless transition has confounded many of our sceptics. As you move about your business here, you will find little changed other than the replacement of the Union Jack with the Chinese National flag. All our systems remain intact and the way the SAR Government has handled the recent turmoil in our own financial market not only demonstrate that we have a high degree of autonomy but also underlines the fundamental strength of our economy and our ability to weather storms.

Hong Kong remains a leading international business and financial centre where local and international businessmen and professionals continue to compete on a level playing field. Foreign investors and professionals are as welcome here as they were five months ago. The rule of law is alive and well and we continue to practise the common law. We make our own economic, financial and monetary decisions in Hong Kong without reference to the Central People's Government. In fact, apart from foreign affairs and defence, we continue to manage our affairs independently. Professional standards are set locally and regulation of the various professions are very much in the hands of their respective professional bodies with no interference from Government. Maintaining high standards of professional competency is important both for our own growth and if we are to continue to contribute to the raising of professional standards in Mainland China.

This year also happens to be the year in which the host organisation, the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the founding of its parent organisation, the Engineering Society of Hong Kong. Over the past five decades, the Society has played a key role in bringing together engineers of different disciplines, raising professional standards and generally to help the engineering profession play a meaningful role in a rapidly changing society. The Institution now has over 15,000 members and represents all branches and disciplines of engineers in Hong Kong. Through its Accreditation Board which was formed in 1993, the Institution provides for professional accreditation of all university engineering courses in Hong Kong, with links among similar accreditation boards in seven other countries who are the signatories to the Washington Accord for mutual recognition of each other's accreditation and engineering degrees for qualification purposes. I take this opportunity to congratulate the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers on its 50th Anniversary and wish it continued success in the years to come.

Talking about the success of engineers, ever since the beginning of civilisation, engineers have helped to shape the material well being of society. Their ideas and labour are embodied in many masterpieces of engineering excellence throughout history. Those masterpieces, such as the Seven Wonders of the World, have almost come to be identified as the symbol of ancient civilisations. Engineers were not always revered and admired. In ancient society, they were regarded as engaging in tasks beneath the dignity of the literary class. This was particularly so in China, where education was mostly concentrated on the study of the classics, and the scholar-official class was not open to engineers.

Happily for all of us, the situation has changed dramatically. The Industrial Revolution has significantly sped up the growth of trade and economic activity and the accumulation of wealth. This would be inconceivable without the labour of engineers. In many ways, engineers are the creators of society. Your precision, imagination and workmanship are evident everywhere you go in any community - in our roads, bridges, skyscrapers, tunnels and so on.

One of Hong Kong's main attractions to business is our well developed and maintained physical infrastructure ranging from highways and telecommunication network to the drainage system. We believe that it is important to ensure that our economic hardware remains efficient and fully able to meet demand. In this respect, I pay tribute to all the engineers working in various fields for their significant contribution to our social and economic well being.

The excellence of your work is particularly evident in recent years through the progressive completion of large infrastructural projects under our multi-billion dollar New Airport Core Programme. Those projects, such as the Tsing Ma Bridge, not only facilitate commerce and improve our everyday life but they stand out as splendid pieces of craftsmanship. They lay the foundation for Hong Kong's continued prosperity in the twenty-first century. Many of these projects have attracted worldwide attention. They are the fruits of a successful partnership between local engineers and engineers from all over the world. This partnership has served Hong Kong well in the past and I can assure this audience that our doors will remain open to professionals from all over the world.

The modern engineer's work is not simply confined to his or her office. A truly effective engineer cannot work in isolation. Engineers must look beyond their own narrow professional confines and be in tune with the community's values, visions and aspirations; while at the time contributing their expertise towards the fulfilment of these goals in the formulation of sound public policies.

The Hong Kong Government has encouraged the participation of engineers in community affairs. For many years, local engineers have been appointed to various statutory and non-statutory advisory boards and committees. Their involvement in these organisations have helped bring about new policies and initiatives that have benefited the entire community. The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, representing the entire engineering profession in Hong Kong covering 16 engineering disciplines, returns an elected member to the Legislative Council for each term under the functional constituency of engineering. I am sure the engineering community here will continue to play a key role in the affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

I understand that President Bauer has invited all national engineering institutions at this General Assembly to exchange views on the future development of world engineering and issues affecting their own institutions. I hope this Assembly will help foster further co-operation in areas of common interest. I wish all of you success in steering your great profession into the new millennium.

Furthermore, I hope the organisations will have sufficient time to see something of this exciting city of ours. So have a most enjoyable stay.

I now have great pleasure in declaring open the General Assembly.