Speeches and Articles by Former Consul General Richard A. Boucher

Independence Day Official Reception
Toast by
Consul General Richard A. Boucher

At an official reception this evening celebrating Independence Day in the United States, U. S. Consul General Richard A. Boucher and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive C. H. Tung exchanged toasts. The text of Consul General Boucher's toast follows:

(Begin text)

A warm welcome to all of you who have gathered here this evening to join us as we celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia in 1776. The Declaration is the document which sets forth the principles on which the United States was founded, and on which its institutions are still based. Perhaps its most famous passage reads:

We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness -- That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed . . .

On the Fourth of July each year, Americans celebrate the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness which our forefathers enshrined in our system of government. We remember with gratitude their idealism and their conviction that government is the servant of the people, and not the other way around.

For Americans who are living abroad, representing our country or engaging in commerce and other endeavors on behalf of our country, these principles have special meaning. We carry them with us every day in everything we do.

For those of us in Hong Kong, this year's celebration seems especially appropriate. At midnight on Monday, we witnessed the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. So from now on the United States and Hong Kong will celebrate similar anniversaries during the first week of July. We will both remember the establishment of our governments and share a warm feeling of pride in our cultures and in the achievements of our peoples.

Americans in Hong Kong are looking forward to the future here and feel good about the economic vitality and political openness that characterize this magic place. We welcome the opportunity to work with the government and people of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and feel privileged to be able to participate in Hong Kong's success.

May the future bring continued blessings both to Hong Kong, and to the United States of America.

And now it is my pleasure to propose a toast: To the People's Republic of China, and the Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.

(End text)

*     *     *     *     *