78-07-A5
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Hong Kong
TranscriptVisiting Hong Kong was not really part of the business that had us going around the world. It was intended as a stop over between Taipei and Iran, a one-and-a-half hour flight for an overnight stay. However, thanks to the Acting Governor of Hong Kong, we had a helicopter tour around the colony and along the Communist Chinese border-- that barrier to freedom which is penetrated constantly by refugees from the worker's paradise. So much so that Hong Kong is bursting at the seams with a population of four and a half million. We flew over three locations back in the picturesque hills surrounding the city to see three "new towns "-- being built from the ground up. We also visited the Red Chinese department store where many luxury items unknown to their citizens are used to boost their balance of trade. Hong Kong could, of course, be swallowed by Communist China in a second, but it is a necessary window to the outside world. You can't help but wonder how the Communist leaders can look through that window at the miracle of free enterprise without realizing how stupid they are to stick with the idiocy of Karl Marx. That night at 11 o'clock we climbed aboard a 747 and started our 11½ hour flight to Iran, where I learned it is pronounced "Iron". We crossed three time zones and arrived in Teheran at 8:30 in the morning, more than a little sleepy. Here, again, we were surprised. Ancient Persia is becoming as modern as tomorrow in an industrial way but still retains much of its cultural heritage. The people are proud, independent and more than generous in their hospitality and courtesy. We visited the unbelievable beauty of the mosque at Isfahan, the ruins of Persepolis at Chiraz and the resort areas on the Caspian Sea. At the same time we met with government officials and the Shan and Shahbanou. As in the other countries we'd visited, the first indication of their modernization was rush hour traffic jams. In Teheran the rush hour seemed to last around the clock. The sky line is studded with huge construction cranes and the Shah told me they were building 300,000 housing units a year. Iran must receive the worst press of almost any nation. Where have we read of the effort the government is making to upgrade the standard of living and eliminate poverty? A great reforestation program is turning barren hills and valleys into green forest lands. American industry is encouraged and there is a growing colony of American engineers and technical experts living in this ancient land. But, above all, we should know that Iran has been and is a staunch friend and ally of the United States. It has a clear understanding of the Soviet threat. And it has the second longest border with Russia. Consequently, it maintains a combat-ready army and air force as well as naval forces on the Persian gulf. But, it, too, worries about the United States and what appears to be a foreign policy based on miscalculation of Soviet intentions. From Iran we flew to London and then over the Pole to Los Angeles. We found friendship for America in every land we visited and a hope that America would indeed lead the free world in resisting Russian imperialism. This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening. |
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