TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1976

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HONG KONG WELCOMES INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT

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THE DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, MR. DAVID JORDAN, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY) HONG KONG WELCOMED ANYONE WHO WISHED TO COME HERE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ITS INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES.

MR. JORDAN WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE PHILIPS INDUSTRIAL BUILDING AT KWAI CHUNG.

HE SAID THAT PHILIPS' COMMITMENT WAS WELL-EXEMPLIFIED BY THE +SPLENDID BUILDING AND WHAT IT CONTAINS+, AN INVESTMENT WHICH WAS ENTERED INTO WHEN, AS MR. JORDAN PUT IT, +FAINTER HEARTS WERE HOLDING BACK+,

+ I REMEMBER SAYING AT THAT TIME THAT THOSE MANUFACTURERS WILLING TO MAKE LONG-TERM COMMITMENTS WOULD BE THE ONES TO BENEFIT FROM THE RE-EXPANSION OF WORLD TRADE. BECAUSE OF THAT FAR-SIGHTED DECISION, PHILIPS ARE, TODAY, IN AN EXCELLENT POSITION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE INCREASED ECONOMIC ACTIVITY THAT IS NOW GOING ON ALL ROUND US. +

MR, JORDAN ADDED THAT THE DECISION WAS ALSO NOTABLE FOR ANOTHER ASPECT THE COMPANY'S WILLINGNESS TO JOIN UP WITH LOCAL INVESTORS IN INVESTMENT PROJECTS.

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HE SAID THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WELCOMED THIS SORT OF JOINT VENTURE BECAUSE IT HELPED HONG KONG TO RETAIN AND ADVANCE ITS COMPETITIVE POSITION WORLDWIDE THROUGH THE

INTRODUCTION OF MODERN, TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES AND THE SPREAD OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THOSE TECHNIQUES BY TRAINING LOCAL STAFF SOME OF WHOM GO OVERSEAS FOR ADVANCED TRAINING.

MR. JORDAN RECALLED THAT WHEN HE LAID THE BUILDING'S FOUNDATION STONE 17 MONTHS AGO, HONG KONG WAS IN THE MIDST OF THE WORLDWIDE RECESSION,

+ I SAID THEN THAT HONG KONG INDUSTRY MUST BE PREPARED FOR STIFFER COMPETITION THAN BEFORE EVEN WHEN WORLD TRADE STARTED TO EXPAND AGAIN. TO JUDGE BY OUR EXPORT FIGURES, WE SEEM TO BE MEETING THE CHALLENGE FAIRLY WELL, BUT IT IS A CHALLENGE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO MEET ONLY IF WE CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN OUR ECONOMIC POLICY AND IF EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE HONG KONG ECONOMY CONTINUES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES IT OFFERS,+ MR. JORDAN SAID.

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