CONFIDENTIAL
機密
CRC INF 9/89
(CEC 4/89)
Background
Indirect Trade Between
China and Taiwan via Hong Kong
Both China and Taiwan feature prominently in
Hong Kong's re-export trade. Their respective importance can be summarised in the table below :
Ranking as a source
of Hong Kong's
re-exports
China
1st since 1959*
Taiwan
3rd since 1988
Ranking as a market for Hong Kong's
re-exports
1st since 1980
4th since 1986
* The first year that re-exports can be
distinguished from domestic exports in Hong Kong's trade statistics.
2.
One major factor contributing to the increasing importance of both China and Taiwan in Hong Kong's re-exports in recent years has been the rapid growth of
indirect trade between China and Taiwan via Hong Kong. Apart from the efficient infrastructural facilities found in Hong Kong, both politics and geography have been important in providing the necessary impetus to such rapid
growth.
3.
Neither China nor Taiwan has published estimates
of the amount of indirect trade between themselves. Thus
the best estimate so far available is from Hong Kong's
trade statistics which include re-exports broken down by
sources and markets. Indirect trade in this context is
defined as re-exports of China origin to Taiwan and re-exports of Taiwan origin to China.
CONFIDENTIAL
機密