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Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa at the new Airport opening ceremony today (Thursday):

The Honourable President Jiang,

The Honourable Vice Premier Qian,

Mr Wong,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today marks the grand opening of the new Hong Kong International Airport, which is a combination of the wisdom, diligence and entrepreneurship of the Hong Kong people and symbolizes the brilliant prospects of Hong Kong. On behalf of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, I would like to extend to you our warmest congratulations. The new airport is an amazing engineering project, in which everyone in Hong Kong takes pride. We are much honoured to have invited President Jiang and Vice Premier Qian to officiate at this opening ceremony. Their presence has made this ceremony an even more special occasion.

The new Hong Kong International Airport project, which is described as a project "beyond 1997", is the largest investment item in the history of Hong Kong. Under the meticulous planning of the government, it took seven years to complete and cost about $155 billion. During the transitional period, Hong Kong managed to make smooth arrangements for this magnificent project with the injection of considerable capital to spur our economic development. This achievement is attributable mainly to the wealth of the Hong Kong people, the confidence they have in the future of Hong Kong and the Central People's Government's support of the policies implemented for the smooth handover of Hong Kong.

History is like a series of journeys, one coming after the other. Following the completion of the new Hong Kong International Airport, the SAR Government has worked out development programmes of an even larger scale. In the five years to come, the Government expects to invest $235 billion on a package of large-scale infrastructural projects including the construction of railways, highways and educational facilities. These major investment projects will commence very soon and continue well beyond this century. The objective of these projects is to strengthen the competitiveness of Hong Kong, to lay a more solid foundation for our long-term development, and to create more job opportunities for our people. The SAR Government strongly believes that the implementation of these cross-century investment programmes will benefit our economy as well as our community. These massive projects bear further testimony to the ability and determination of the people of Hong Kong. They once again prove that Hong Kong will always be a city of vigour and opportunities.

With its completion and inauguration, the new Hong Kong International Airport not only caters for the needs of Hong Kong as we enter the next century, but also consolidates our position as a transport hub as well as a major centre of trade, finance and tourism in the Asia-Pacific Region. As the 21st Century is unfolding, it is indeed most encouraging to note that Hong Kong has made an early start in upgrading our aviation facilities. Finally, I would like to pay tribute to the Airport Authority and all those who have contributed to the construction of the new airport and other items under the Airport Core Programme. I congratulate all of you on your accomplishment of an arduous task which has won acclamation of the world. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to our overseas guests, who have come all the way here today, as well as the overseas consultants and partners who partook in this project to make it a tremendous success.

Thank you.

End/Thursday, July 2, 1998

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