Closing Speech By Wang Gang, Chairman of EASTICA

Ladies and Gentlemen

Dear Colleagues

Thanks to the joint efforts and contribution from all participants, the Second General Conference of EASTICA is going to be closed successfully.

In the past two days, we discussed the future activities of EASTICA, elected new members of the Executive Board, adopted the Resolution and decided the dates and place of the Third General Conference of EASTICA. We have reached agreements on all of these issues, which will be of great significance to EASTICA and to the future archival work of East Asia. Just as Charles KECSKEMETI said in his opening speech that the old Asia is at the time of dynamic economic development. Archival work should keep pace with this new situation and to meet the challenge.

Taking this opportunity, I would like also to express thanks to William Wallach from the Bentley Historical Library of Michigan University and Qiu Xiaowei from the Central Archives of China for their excellent presentation on computer application in archives. I believe, these lectures are of great reference to computerization of archives management in East Asia.

We are happy to see that the archival work in East Asia has made great progress. The Okinawa Prefecture Archives of Japan has constructed a modern archival building. The New Archives Building of Hong Kong is going to be completed in 1997. The National Archives of Mongolia has build a new archives building. The National Archives of Japan is planning to build a new repository. In China, archives of various kinds have been set up throughout the country above county level. Presently, EASTICA has 7 country/territory members, 2 members of national associations of archivists and 7 institutional members. I believe there will be more archival institutions in East Asia join EASTICA. Mr KECSKEMETI said that he was very happy to see the rapid progress of EASTICA within this short period of two years, and he will report to Mr Jean Pierre Wallot, President of ICA about EASTICA.

Here, on behalf of the organizing Committee of the XIII^th International Congress on Archives, I would like to invite all of you to come to Beijing to attend this conference. I hope to see you all next September in Beijing. On behalf of EASTICA, once again, I would like to express our gratitude to Macao Cultural Institute, to Maria Helena Lima Evora, Director of Macao Historical Archives and her colleagues for their hospitality and very delicate arrangement of this meeting.

Now, I declare the closing of the Second General Conference of EASTICA.

Thank you.