2.
CONFIDENTIAL
062301
MDHIAN 1545
CONTACT WITH THEIR CHINESE COUNTERPARTS. THIS IS A RELATIVELY NEW BUT IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT. SO FAR THIS YEAR, OVER 60 OFFICIAL VISITS HAVE BEEN MADE BY HONG KONG CIVIL SERVANTS TO VARIOUS PARTS OF CHINA. I HOPE TO SEE MORE SUCH CONTACTS IN THE COMING YEAR, AND ALSO TO SEE MORE CHINESE OFFICIAL VISITING HONG KONG.
101. WE NEED ALSO TO MAKE MEMBERS OF OUR CIVIL SERVICE BETTER- INFORMED ABOUT CHINA. WE WILL, THEREFORE, DEVELOP OUR PRESENT CHINA TRAINING PROGRAMME SO THAT CIVIL SERVANTS, AT DIFFERENT LEVELS AND WITH DIFFERENT RESPONSIBILITIES, CAN BECOME MORE FAMILIAR WITH CHINA AND ITS SYSTEMS. I BELIEVE THAT GREATER FAMILIARITY, AND MORE PERSONAL CONTACT AT ALL LEVELS, WILL HELP US TO HANDLE DIFFERENCES OF OPINION, WHEN THEY OCCUR, IN A MORE CONSTRUCTIVE WAY.
102. ABOVE ALL, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO OVERSTATE THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA. CHINA IS OUR LARGEST TRADING PARTNER, AND A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO OUR GDP GROWTH. THE FLOW OF CAPITAL, TECHNOLOGY AND COMMERCIAL EXPERTISE FROM HONG KONG INTO GUANGDONG AND OTHER PARTS OF SOUTHERN CHINA IS A LONG- TERM FEATURE OF OUR ECONOMY. IN 1989, NO LESS THAT 14,000 HONG KONG-BASED FACTORIES EMPLOYED SOME TWO MILLION WORKERS IN SOUTHERN CHINA. THIS HAS NOT ONLY STRENGTHENED OUR PRODUCTION BASE, BUT HAS ALSO PLAYED AN IMPORTANT PART IN BRINGING ABOUT AN AVERAGE ANNUAL INCREASE IN OUR TOTAL CHINA TRADE OF 30 PERCENT OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS. THE SOUTHERN COASTAL BELT OF CHINA, AND THE PEARL RIVER DELTA IN PARTICULAR, IS SURELY SET TO BE A MAJOR AREA OF ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THE NEXT TWO OR THREE DECADES. WE SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT HONG KONG PLAYS A MAJOR PART IN THIS PROCESS.
WILSON
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ΜΑΙΝ
31
LIMITED
HKD
FED
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DISTRIBUTION
31
SEAD
MR.MCLAREN
MR BURNS