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The China Travel Service, who arranged tour groups for Hongkong and Macau residents had "notched up more than 160 missions this year" which excluded those going to the mainland on their own and those attending the Canton trade fairs.
"The itineraries of these travellers are not confined to Kwangtung only. Many residents go as far north as Kirin and Liaoning, and as far west as Shensi province," he noted.
On November 17 the same paper reported that a travel agency was offering seven-day tours to Peking at $4,600 for foreigners and locals with British passports.
It said "The price includes train and air fares to and from Peking, first-class
hotel accommodation, meals, transfers, sightseeing and visa fees?".
The paper quoted a staff member of Romantic Tours at Melbourne Plaza as saying "her company was selling the seats for the China Travel Service", but the CTS refused to comment, it added..
Real Estate
Victor Su reported in the South China Morning Post (October 18) that two "Peking-controlled banks and a retail store have livened up Hong Kong's property market with acquisitions worth an estimated $200 million".
Mr. Su said sources close to China had revealed that the following transactions had taken place:
1) The Kincheng Bank had concluded a preliminary agreement to acquire nine floors of the China Underwriters and Life Insurance Building of 51-57 Des Voeux Road, Central;
2) China State Bank had acquired Luen Hing Shing Building from First Rice Ltd. at a cost of $28 million together with other property. Both Luen Hing Shing Development Co. and the First Rice are subsideries of Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd;
3) The China Products Co Ltd the first and possibly the only state- controlled store of its kind in Hongkong had acquired four floors of Lok Sing Centre shopping mall being built on the site of the former Roxy Theatre in Causeway Bay. The purchase price was $70 million.
Mr. Su pointed out that before 1970 these "China-based banks operating in Hong Kong were conservative" now the "tempo of their property acquisition has reportedly inspired confidence in the local estate market," he said.
Commerce
TA KUNG PAO (October 17) reported that a Chinese civil aviation Trident jet had brought to Hong Kong nine tons of fresh water crabs direct from Nanking. "This is the first time that fresh water crabs had been air-freighted to Hongkong, and also the first time that China had shipped cargo to Hongkong by special plane." it said.
It also carried a report that "The total value of goods imported from China increased by $234 million in the first nine months of this year as compared with the same period last year" and that it was due to increase in petroleum imports.
After the completion of the new depot in Tsing Yi Island. it was expected. said the paper, that "probably one-third of the local market will be taken up by petroleum products from China".
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