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as I noted at the beginning of my statement, there was a
marked slackness of demand in major markets resulting in a
9 per cent decline in textile exports compared with the
same period in 1976, the non-textile sector's performance
was such that domestic exports registered an overall
increase of over 7 per cent.
I do not put this forward as something on which
to be complacent but, while assuring this Council that
the Government will continue to defend the interests of
the vital textiles sector with all possible vigour, I
suggest it is heartening to note that Hong Kong industry
continues to demonstrate its flexibility and is steadily
spreading its base.