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The industry would continue to seek overseas co-operation and expertise along the lines of the recently established International United Shipping Investments Company
Limited, he said.
Guangdong, with China's third largest shipbuilding industry after Shanghai
and Dalien (* Wong added.
), would play a major role in the expansion programme, Mr.
C. Hong Kong United Dockyard
a)
Opening of a dockyard on Tsing Yi Island
The Hong Kong United Dockyard's (A
) new shipyard on
Tsing Yi Island was opened in November, 1980.
The yard has three floating docks with modern facilities which can
accommodate 100 000 deadweight-ton vessels.
According to a spokesman for the shipyard, an average of 550 vessels from
30 countries are repaired every year and more Chinese vessels have been coming for repairs and maintenance services. He said that 15 to 20 per cent of all the vessels under repair in the yard were from China.
b) Space in the dockyard set aside for Chinese vessels
The business manager of the Hong Kong United Dockyard Limited
( 香港聯合船塢有限公司 ) Mr. J.W. F. Mackinnon, said that China was actively expanding its fleets in recent years and that Hong Kong, being close to China geographically, would be in a favourable position to capture the lions share of the Chinese market. Although it would take some time for the promising Chinese market to be opened up, it was certain that the Chinese fleets would become major clients of local shipyards.
Mr. Mackinnon noted that United Dockyard was studying the feasibility of a plan to set aside space in the shipyard to service Chinese vessels engaged in coastal oil exploration.
D. Wai Gin Limited
Hong Kong's Wai Gin Limited (IĦRA ), has been contracted to fit ten lifeboats to the M V Ming Hua, a China-owned cruise ship currently chartered to an Australian operator, it was reproted in mid-August, 1980.
A director of the company, Mr. K. H. Chan, said the boats, which were 10 metres long and had a 103-passenger capacity, were among the largest and most sophisticated of their kind in the world.
The lifeboats, with in-board engines, are being constructed in Barcelona and will be shipped here in special containers diesigned to accommodate such bulky objects.
10. MANUFACTURE OF CONTAINERS
A.
Javalin Company Limited
It was reported on January 20, 1981 that Javalin Company Limited of Hong Kong was to enter into a joint venture with R K Management Associates of Indiana of the United States and the Guangzhou authorities in setting up a factory in South China to manufacture containers.
Production would commence at the end of this year.
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