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Communications
The STAR (September 14) published extracts of a speech by Mr. Reginald Gregory, General Manager of the Kowloon-Canton Railway to the Chartered Institute of Transport.
Mr. Gregory reportedly said that China probably had the largest railway system in the world and recently movement had been toward the centre of China and “in consequence freight will increasingly come to Hongkong by rail".
He noted that Hong Kong was China's second biggest trading partner, with total tonnage of freight at 3.8 million for 1976. Rail share was 27.5 per cent, boat 36.3, ships 34.4 and the rest by road. There were now 10 freight trains a day as compared to four before 1973.
THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (September 17) said "China is continuing its ship-buying programme and reportedly has purchased about 30 vessels many of them bulkcarriers in the past two months.
"This flurry of activity, together with large purchases by C.Y. Tung group, has helped to make Hongkong one of the world's most important shipsale and purchase centres, along with such other areas as New York, London and Oslo", it added.
The Star (November 23) quoted an AFP report that China had reportedly asked about the possibility of using Hong Kong's container terminus facilities during the recent Canton Trade Fair, "as it would save China the trouble of building its own facilities".
The ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL (November 30) carried Andy McCue's article on China's buying of ships and Hong Kong's involvement.
Quoting the Sea Trade magazine, Mr. McCue said since China "re-entered the second-hand market last spring, they had purchased about 30 ships with a value of roughly $100 million, and that "roughly one quarter of the purchases are made through Hong Kong companies controlled by China".
He said that one firm in Hong Kong with close ties to both ship brokers and China had "predicted the Chinese wouldn't only continue their purchases, but would begin to diversify".
European brokers, he said were used to set up deals in the early 1970s but current purchases were "conducted through brokers either located here or with close ties to Hong Kong. While the ships have been purchased from owners all over the world, the agents who have brought the Chinese and the sellers together have been such established firms as Rodskog & Co., Dodwell Shipping Ltd., and Matheson & Co., a unit of Jardine-Matheson & Co.", wrote Mr. McCue.
Travel
David Chen writing in the South China Morning Post (September 23) said the Chinese authorities are "liberalising restrictions on travel within the mainland and are planning to accept more tourists and visitors from abroad".
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