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FM HONG KONG
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INFO IMMEDIATE BTC HONG KONG
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HKA 301|1
In hath Ines 8
053447
MDHIAN 0760
18
CALL BY PAUL CHENG ON MR GOODLAD
TOP COPY Q DIST?
1. WE DO NOT THINK THAT MR CHENG HAS ANY PARTICULAR ISSUES TO RAISE WITH MR GOODLAD. HE MAY HOWEVER TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY OF HIS CALL TO URGE HMG TO PRESS THE AMERICANS FOR UNCONDITIONAL RENEWAL OF MFN STATUS FOR CHINA. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL PASSED A MOTION MOVED BY MR ALLEN LEE YESTERDAY THAT 'THIS COUNCIL URGES THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, ON BEHALF OF HONG KONG, TO ASK THE US GOVERNMENT TO RENEW THE MOST FAVOURED NATION STATUS FOR CHINA UNCONDITIONALLY, SO THAT HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC INTERESTS ARE SAFEGUARDED'. MR CHENG IS A GOOD FRIEND OF MR LEE, AND MAY USE HIS CALL ON MR GOODLAD TO PUSH FOR HIS FRIEND'S CAUSE.
2. MR CHENG, AGED 57, WAS BORN IN CHINA AND RECEIVED HIS EDUCATION IN AMERICA. HE IS NOW CHAIRMAN OF INCHCAPE PACIFIC LIMITED. WITH REGARD TO COMMUNITY SERVICE, HE IS A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, THE GOVERNOR'S BUSINESS COUNCIL, AN EX-OFFICIO MEMBER OF THE HONG KONG TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM-HONG KONG SCHOLARSHIPS COMMITTEE, IN ADDITION TO HIS BEING THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HONG KONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (HKGCC).
3. THE HKGCC, WHICH IS HONG KONG'S LARGEST BUSINESS ASSOCIATION WAS FOUNDED IN 1861 AND HAS A PRESENT MEMBERSHIP OF OVER 3,000 COMPANIES REPRESENTING A CROSS-SECTION OF HONG KONG'S BUSINESS
COMMUNITY. THE CHAMBER'S MAIN FUNCTION IS TO REPRESENT THE INTERESTS OF ITS MEMBERS IN HONG KONG AS WELL AS INTERNATIONALLY. IT ALSO OPERATES A WIDE RANGE OF SERVICES FOR MEMBERS, INCLUDING THE PROMOTION OF INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT AND TRADE, THE PROCESSING OF OVERSEAS TRADE ENQUIRIES, DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION, AND THE ISSUANCE OF GOVERNMENT-AUTHORISED COMMERCIAL DOCUMENTS, SUCH AS CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN. A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF THE MEMBERS OF THE CHAMBER SIT ON VARIOUS GOVERNMENT ADVISORY BODIES, E.G. THE ECONOMIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD.
PROMOTION OF TRADE IS A MAJOR OBJECTIVE OF THE CHAMBER AND IT CONSTANTLY SEEKS TO BOTH DEVELOP NEW MARKETS AND IMPROVE TRADE
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