JEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 1978
THE DUKE POINTED OUT THAT THERE ARE TWO SIMILARITIES BETWEEN BRITAIN AND HONG KONG WHICH ARE OFTEN OVERLOOKED. +BOTH HAVE DENSE POPULATIONS LIVING CLOSE TO THE SEA AND BOTH HAVE HAD TO TRADE IN ORDER TO SURVIVE.
+ IT IS NOT THEREFORE SUPRISING THAT OVER MANY YEARS WE HAVE BECOME PARTNERS IN TRADE, HE SAID.
THE DUKE SAID THE BRITISH OVERSEAS TRADE BOARD OF WHICH HE IS THE VICE-CHAIRMAN HAS A KEEN INTEREST IN SEEING A GENERAL INCREASE IN BUSINESS BETWEEN BRITAIN. AND HONG KONG AND IT MAKES USE OF VARIOUS MEANS TO TRY AND PROMOTE THIS.
+BY FAR THE LARGEST PROMOTIONAL EFFORT THIS YEAR AND OF COURSE THE CHIEF REASON FOR MY COMING TO HONG KONG IS THE BRITISH INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION WHICH I OPENED ON MONDAY MORNING, HE SAID.
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS WAS DELIGHTED TO HEAR THAT THE INTEREST AND SUPPORT FROM HONG KONG BUSINESSMEN TO THE EXHIBITION HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS.
THE DUKE DESCRIBED THE EXHIBITION AS +A WORKING DEMONSTRATION OF THE CAPABILITIES OF BRITISH INDUSTRY+ WHICH PRODUCES SO MANY OF THE PRODUCTS THAT HONG KONG NEEDS IN ITS PROGRAMME OF EXPANSION.
+MORE THAN THAT, IT IS I THINK AN EXPRESSION OF THE STRENGTH OF LINKS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND BRITAIN, HE ADDED.
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS SAID DURING THE PAST THREE DAYS IN HONG KONG HE WAS ASTONISHED BY ITS AMBITIOUS AND IMPRESSIVE PLANS FOR THE FUTURE AND THE RATE OF DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE SINCE HIS LAST VISIT HERE 15 YEARS AGO.
HE WAS MORE FIRMLY CONVINCED THAN BEFORE THAT HONG KONG IS +A MARKET, A TERRITORY, WHICH WITH ITS HISTORICALLY VERY CLOSE TIES WITH BRITAIN, OFFERS TO OUR BUSINESSMEN OPPORTUNITIES WHICH MUST BE ALMOST UNIQUE AND WHICH THEY WOULD BE FOOLISH TO IGNORE.+
+THAT IS THE MESSAGE WHICH I SHALL CERTAINLY TAKE BACK WITH ME TO LONDON, THE DUKE SAID.
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