UK EYES A
main source of Hong Kong's re-exports providing 27% against Japan who ranked
second providing 14%. By exporting goods through Hong Kong China can reach export
markets which would otherwise be closed (eg Indonesia) and can he used to break
into and build up markets where consumer and/or political resistance against
communist Chinese goods might be encountered (eg USA and Thailand).
probably a factor in the reexports to Japan prior to the improvement in relations
in 1972-73. Hong Kong even enables a clandestine trade with Taiwan to, he maintained.
Table VII shows the main destinations of Chinese reexports.
TABLE VII
This was
THIS IS A COPY
THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN RETAINED IN THE DEPARTMENT UNDER SECTION 3 (4) OF THE
CHINESE REEXPORTS BY COUNTRY OF DESTINATION
(US & PUBS RECORDS ACT 1958
m.
% of total Chinese
Country of Destination
1972 1973 1974 1975
1976
1977
Indonesia
23242
888
58
62
55
82
reexports (1976)
17
Singapore
21
34
38
49
51
10
USA
12
17
18
28
50
10
Japan
22
56
29
28
46
9
Taiwan
8
17
21
26
39
Co
8
Switzerland
11
16
22
28
19
4
Thailand
3
11
19
4
Others (eg Australia,
FRG)
69
111
119
127
184
38
Total Re-exports
175 309 312
353
490
100
Source: Hong Kong Annual Reviews of Overseas Trade.
11.
Trading Facilities.
Apart from selling to and through Hong Kong China also
exploits the unique trading position of Hong Kong in the world's commerce by using
it as a shop window (over the past 18 months it has increasingly staged mini-fairs
8
UK EYES A