1989-03-16 14:52 BRITISH TRADE COMMISSION
852 5 845 2870 P.04
British Investment in Hong Kong
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4.
A considerable amount of British investment in Hong Kong is in well-
established companies and groups some of which have tended over the years, to
assume more of a Hong Kong identity They remain British controlled and
managed but they also project a local image. They include the present Hong
Kong Telecom Company (75% owned by Cable and Wireless plc), Swire Pacific (27%
owned by the John Swire Group) and Jardines (controlled by the Keswick family
of Britain). There are other large groups in Hong Kong that remain clearly
they include Standard Chartered, Inchcape, British-American Tobacco
and Shell. There are many smaller British companies. There are also a number
of large Hong Kong groups that are not controlled by British investors but are
directed or managed by a substantial number of British personnel,
include the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank and the Kadoorie Group.
British
These
5.
It is difficult to establish a comprehensive figure for the total value of
companies owned, controlled or influenced from Britain. However, a review of
annual reports (mostly for the year 1987) supplemented by some information
given in confidence, confirms that:
British companies have net assets in Hong Kong worth between £2,500m and
£3,000m. This includes the total net assets of companies wholly owned from
Britain and an appropriate proportion of the net assets of companies partly
owned and controlled from Britain.