|
December |
|
1 |
|
The 1998 Index
of Economic Freedom compiled by the American Heritage Foundation rates
Hong Kong's economy the freest in the world for the fifth consecutive
year. |
|
3 |
|
The Hong Kong
Mortgage Corporation announces a guarantee scheme that will effectively
let home buyers borrow up to 85 per cent of the property's valuation.
|
|
6 |
|
Six fisherman
go missing, believed drowned when their boat sinks after a collision
with an oil tanker in the East Lamma Channel. |
|
9 |
|
Consortium
members sign land-grant deals with the government marking the go-ahead
for the five-year Container Terminal 9 project on the east side of
Tsing Yi Island. |
| |
|
Three people
die when a car hits a divider on the Tsing Yi end of the Tsing Ma
Bridge, hurtles into the air and drops 25 metres to the hillside below.
|
|
10 |
|
The government
opens up the pay-television market to encourage higher technology
and greater competition. |
|
13 |
|
Windsurfer
Lee Lai-shan wins the Mistral class gold medal at the Asian games
in Bangkok. Her fiance, Sam Wong Tak-sum, wins the silver in his class
of the men's event, the lightweight raceboard. |
|
14 |
|
Hong Kong ten-pin
bowler Sunny Hui Cheung-kwok takes gold in the men's event at the
Asian Games in Bangkok. Later in the day, Chan Wai-tat wins the team
snooker final and shares Hong Kong's third gold medal of the Games
with his team mates Marco Fu Ka-chun and Ivan Chan Kwok-ming. Subsequently,
Ng Siu-ching wins gold in the wushu nanquan event and cyclist Wong
Kam-po wins the men's 200-km road race. Hong Kong ends with five gold,
six silver and six bronze, finishing in 13th place overall - its best
Asian Games result. |
| |
|
Hong Kong Director
of Health, Dr Margaret Chan, accepts a Proclamation of Appreciation
signed by 19 world health authorities applauding Hong Kong's swift
action in containing avian flu (H5N1) in late 1997. They sincerely
commend Hong Kong for its pre-emptive action in slaughtering about
1.6 million poultry, one-fifth of which were found to be carrying
the flu virus. |
|
17 |
|
Hong Kong's
unemployment reaches 5.5 per cent, the highest level in 22 years.
|
|
23 |
|
Hong Kong's
Asian Games athletes are acclaimed for their efforts at a public reception
and a victory parade through Tsim Sha Tsui on an open-top bus. |
|
31 |
|
The year ends
as the warmest on record. The annual mean temperature was 24 degrees,
0.2 degrees higher than the previous record set in 1966. |