Y. K. PAO
HONG KONG A SHIPPING POWER
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS CLUB HONG KONG
(NOVEMBER, 1972)
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
G
WHEN TALKING ABOUT HONG KONG AS A SHIPPING POWER WE
MUST DISTINGUISH BETWEEN
(1)
HONG KONG AS A MAJOR PORT, AND
(2)
HONG KONG AS A SIGNIFICANT BASE OF SHIPOWNING,
A FEW WORDS ONLY ON THE FIRST TOPIC ON WHICH I MUST
ADMIT I AM PROBABLY NOT TOO QUALIFIED TO SPEAK. I ALSO DO
NOT WANT TO BORE YOU WITH PORT STATISTICS AND THE LIKE SINCE
THESE ARE IN ANY EVENT EASILY AVAILABLE FROM AUTHORITATIVE
SOURCES.
BUT I MUST MENTION HONG KONG'S PORT FUNCTION IF
ONLY TO SKETCH THE BACKGROUND FOR THE SECOND TOPIC ON
WHICH I REALLY WANTED TO CONCENTRATE,
AS YOU PROBABLY ALL KNOW, HONG KONG'S "MARITIME ORIGINS"
WERE RATHER OF A SHADY NATURE, THE ISLAND BEING USED INITIALLY
AS A REFUGE FOR PIRATES OPERATING IN THE PEARL RIVER AND THE
WIDER SOUTH CHINA SEA. THEY MUST HAVE HAD LITTLE CONCERN
FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR HIDEOUT, BUT NO DOUBT THEY
CONTRIBUTED EARLY TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUNG KONG'S IMAGE
AS A USEFUL AND WELL-LOCATED HARBOUR.
WITH THE EXPANSION OF BRITISH RULE IN THE FAR EAST AROUND
THE MIDDLE OF THE LAST CENTURY, THE PIRATES MADE WAY FOR A
NEW GROUP OF CHINA TRADERS (IN BOTH OPIUM AND OTHER GOODS)
USING HONG KONG AS AN OPERATIONAL BASE FOR THEIR FLEETS OF
SMALL VESSELS TRADING ALONG THE PEARL RIVER AND UP AND
DOWN THE CHINESE COAST. FROM THEN ON HONG KONG ESTABLISHED
ITSELF NOT ONLY MORE FIRMLY AS A PORT BUT ALSO AS A TRANS-