EFFORTS.
CONFIDENTIAL
175645
MDHIAN 5258
US BUSINESS INTERESTS IN HONG KONG WOULD ALSO SUFFER. FOR MANY YEARS, THE US HAS BEEN THE LARGEST FOREIGN INVESTOR IN HONG KONG, WITH INVESTMENT NOW ESTIMATED AT USD7 BILLION IN TOTAL. THERE ARE 900 US FIRMS IN HONG KONG, MORE THAN DOUBLE THE NUMBER FIVE YEARS
AGO.
I KNOW THAT THERE ARE CALLS IN CONGRESS FOR A CONDITIONAL RENEWAL OF MFN. I CAN UNDERSTAND THE THINKING BEHIND THIS: BUT IT WOULD ONLY CREATE YET MORE UNCERTAINTY IN HONG KONG FOR BOTH LOCAL AND FOREIGN BUSINESSES AND INVESTORS.
THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG HAVE AS GREAT AN INTEREST AS ANYONE IN AN ENLIGHTENED AND OUTWARD LOOKING CHINA. WE BELIEVE THAT CONTINUED TRADE, CONTACT AND COMMUNICATION WITH CHINA WILL ENCOURAGE OPENNESS, AND THAT THE WITHDRAWAL OF MFN STATUS WOULD BRING ABOUT A MORE ISOLATIONIST MENTALITY. THIS WOULD BE IN THE INTERESTS OF
NEITHER HONG KONG NOR THE US.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU PERSONALLY TO DO ALL THAT YOU CAN TO HELP
HONG KONG BY SUPPORTING THE UNCONDITIONAL RENEWAL OF MFN STATUS
FOR CHINA.
WILSON
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ΜΑΙΝ
34
LIMITED
HKD
FED
NAD
ERD
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DISTRIBUTION
34
ESAU
SIR J COLES
MR BURNS