Industry bodies breathed a sigh of relief after the address, saying a lack of new initiatives would benefit the business sector.
But some groups have urged the Governor to make a number of policy recommendations to the chief executive-designate, as soon as his successor's name becomes known.
The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce registered strong approval of the speech. On Monday it had gone to the unprecedented lengths of releasing a letter it had sent to Mr Patten, in the wake of fears that there would be far-reaching changes of policy.
The chamber's chairman, James Tien Pei-chun, said the chamber 'appreciates the explicit commitments to the continued good government and prosperity and stability of Hong Kong in the remaining nine months of transition'.
Chamber director Ian Christie said the lack of new policy initiatives was a 'sensible acknowledgment of the practicalities of transitional government'.
He added that there was 'not much to take issue with' in the speech, apart from the Governor's statements opposing the establishment of a provisional legislature.
