-
2 -
6.
A valid method of assessing the UK export performance
in Hong Kong is to compare it with that achieved by other main
industrial suppliers in relation to their average world performances.
This is shewn in Table 5 covering the seven countries that participate
at Economic Summit Meetings, UK, West Germany, France, Italy, USA,
Canada and Japan. It will be seen from column (d) in the table
that:
(a)
the UK performance is equal to its world average;
(b)
(c)
the USA performance is close to its world average,
reflecting perhaps lower than average performance
in the EEC and high manufacturing investment
in Hong Kong (nearly eight times greater than
the UK's);
Japan's performance is well above its world average,
but typical of its performance in the region;
(d)
West Germany, France and Italy all achieve only
about one third of their average world performance
in Hong Kong.
To compare the UK on this basis (relative Hong Kong/world performance)
with Japan and USA is not to compare like with like; to compare
her with other European countries is. On such a comparison, the
UK performance in Hong Kong is some three times better than her
like competitors.
August 1985
Hong Kong Government Office
London