પ
BUT
+FOR SOME TIME THE EYES OF THE WORLD HAVE BEEN TURNING AGAIN TO THE FAR EAST AND PARTICULARLY TO THAT CIRCLE OF COUNTRIES ON THE PACIFIC'S WESTERN SHORE WHICH INCLUDES THE TERRITORY OF HONG KONG. IT IS AN AREA WHOSE RECORD OF ECONOMIC GROWTH OVER THE LAST DECADE AND A HALF IS EXTRAORDINARY, AND WHICH HAS BEEN ENCOURAGED RECENTLY BY THE EMERGENCE OF NEW ECONOMIC POLICIES IN CHINA. MY INTENTION TODAY IS TO TALK ONLY ABOUT TRADE BETWEEN THE NETHERLANDS AND HONG KONG HONG KONG IS A FOCAL POINT IN THIS GROWTH AREA - AN ECONOMIC PHENOMENON WHOSE DEFIANT SUCCESS CONTINUES TO PROVIDE A MODEL FOR THE DEBATE OF THE THEORETICIANS. IT IS NO CONJURING TRICK. IT HAS NOT BEEN DONE WITH MIRRORS BUT BY HARD WORK, REALISM, STRONG MARKETING OF THE PRODUCTS OF AN EFFICIENT INDUSTRY, A SUPERB NATURAL HABOUR WITH THE FASTEST TURN-AROUND IN ASIA, AND A STRONG FINANCIAL SECTOR.
+WE LEVY NO PROTECTIONIST TARIFFS ON IMPORTS, AND MAINTAIN NO OTHER CONTROLS ON TRADE THAN THOSE THAT INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS OR CONSIDERATIONS OF HEALTH, SAFETY AND SECURITY REQUIRE.
+ IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD PROTECTIONIST CLOUDS ARE LOOMING NOT SURPRISING IN VIEW OF THE HIGH LEVELS OF UNEMPLOYMENT. NEVERTHELESS WE BELIEVE PROFOUNDLY THAT CURRENT ECONOMIC ILLS OF THE DEVELOPED WORLD WILL NOT BE CURED BY FURTHER PROTECTION, BUT ARE FAR MORE LIKELY TO BE AGGRAVATED BY IT. WHEN THE RENEWAL OF THE MFA AND THE BILATERALS WITH THE EEC COME TO BE CONSIDERED THIS YEAR AND NEXT, WE TRUST THAT, AS IN THE PAST, THE VOICE OF THE NETHERLANDS WILL BE RAISED AGAINST FURTHER RESTRICTION AND IN FAVOUR OF THE EXPANSION OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE.
AND
+COMMERCIAL LINKS BETWEEN THE NETHERLANDS AND HONG KONG ARE ALREADY STRONG. TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT ARE SUBSTANTIAL AND SHIPPING AND BANKING FIRMLY ESTABLISHED, BUT THERE IS PLENTY OF ROOM FOR EXPANSION. MOREOVER YOU WILL FIND OUR INDUSTRIALISTS THIRSTY FOR NEW TECHNOLOGY AND NEW MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES AS THEY MOVE STEADILY TOWARDS MORE SOPHISTICATED PRODUCTION.
+SIR, WE IN HONG KONG BELIEVE THAT SUPERFLUOUS GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION IMPEDES BUSINESS. SO I HAVE KEPT MY SPEECH SHORT LEST IT DELAY YOUR GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS COLLEAGUES FROM GETTING TO KNOW THE IR COUNTERPARTS IN HONG KONG. I CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR IMAGINATIVE ENTERPRISE AND WISH YOU EVERY SUCCESS IN DOING BUSINESS WITH US.+
BREAKDOWN TRADE FIGURES FOR JANUARY
******
—
NOVEMBER 1980
TOTAL MERCHANDISE TRADE FOR JANUARY TO NOVEMBER 1980, VALUED AT $189 244 MILLION, SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 30 PER CENT AS COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDİNG PERIOD IN 1979.
DOMESTIC EXPORTS ROSE BY 23 PER CENT TO 61 914 MILLION, IMPORTS BY 30 PER CENT TO $100 375 ILLION RE-EXPORTS EY 49 PER CENT TO 326 955 MILLIC.. DOVESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS TOGETHER SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 30 PER CONT.
THE CE SUS ND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY FELEASED THE DETAILED BREA DON FIGURES.
/GI