RESTRICTED
021161
MDLIAN 6592
4. THE GOVERNOR TOOK SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING HIS TALK WITH THE PRIME MINISTER, TO THANK THE NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT FOR THE SUPPORT WHICH THEY HAD GIVEN TO HONG KONG OVER THE YEARS. HE ALSO UNDERLINED THE PIVOTAL ROLE WHICH HONG KONG PLAYS IN NORTH EAST ASIA AND THE VALUE TO NEW ZEALAND BUSINESS IN DEVELOPING THEIR MARKETS IN HONG KONG AND USING THE TERRITORY AS A SPRINGBOARD FOR EXPANSION INTO THE BURGEONING ECONOMY OF SOUTHERN CHINA. THE GOVERNOR ALSO MADE CLEAR THAT, WHILE HONG KONG COULD ILL AFFORD TO LOSE WELL QUALIFIED PEOPLE, HE RECOGNISED THAT THOSE WHO MIGRATED TO NEW ZEALAND OR ELSEWHERE WOULD NOT ONLY BE VALUABLE ADDITIONS TO THOSE COMMUNITIES, BUT WERE ALSO LIKELY TO FOSTER CLOSER LINKS, NOT LEAST IN THE TRADE FIELD, WITH HONG KONG.
5. THE GOVERNOR FOUND THAT HE WAS PREACHING TO THE CONVERTED.
THE NEW ZEALANDERS EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE OF PACIFIC MARKETS
FOR THEIR EXPORTS: OVER THE PAST YEAR ASIA HAD MOVED FROM PROVIDING TWO OF NEW ZEALAND'S TOP TEN MARKETS TO SIX. FUTURE EXPANSION FOR NEW ZEALAND WOULD PRIMARILY DEPEND ON THE ASIA
PACIFIC REGION. FOR THIS REASON THEY WERE ALREADY PLANNING TO STEP UP THEIR REPRESENTATION, BY ADDING TO THEIR STAFF IN HONG KONG AND OPENING AN OFFICE IN SHANGHAI. THEY MIGHT ALSO OPEN AN OFFICE, SUBORDINATE TO HONG KONG, IN GUANGZHOU. THEY WOULD ALSO BE STRENGTHENING THEIR COSTENSIBLY NON-OFFICIAL)
PRESENCE IN TAIPEI. HONG KONG WOULD THUS BECOME A SUB-REGIONAL
CENTRE FOR NEW ZEALAND.
6. THE NEW ZEALANDERS ALSO POINTED OUT THAT TAIWAN AND HONG
KONG WERE THEIR FASTEST GROWING SOURCES OF INVESTMENT, BUSINESS MIGRATION AND TOURISM. UNDER NEW ZEALAND'S BUSINESS MIGRATION PROGRAMME 5,300 HONG KONGERS HAD SETTLED IN NEW ZEALAND OVER THE PAST YEAR.
7. FINANCE MINISTER RUTH RICHARDSON TOLD THE GOVERNOR THAT SHE
PLANNED TO VISIT SEVERAL FAR EASTERN CENTRES (INCLUDING HONG
KONG AND TOKYO) IN LATE MARCH OR EARLY APRIL NEXT YEAR.
8. THE NEW ZEALANDERS ALSO SHOWED CONSIDERABLE INTEREST IN THE
GOVERNOR'S VIEWS ON THE TRANSITION FROM BRITISH TO CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY IN HONG KONG AND HOW THE WHOLE 1997 PROCESS WOULD BE STAGE MANAGED, AS WELL AS IN, THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC PROSPECTS OF CHINA ITSELF.
COMMENT