WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1982
NEED FOR TECHNOLOGICAL INDUSTRIES
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HONG KONG LACKS A SUFFICIENTLY WIDE RANGE OF TECHNOLOGICAL INDUSTRIES NEEDED TO COMPETE IN THE HIGHLY TECHNOLOGICALLY- ORIENTATED MARKETS OF THE FUTURE, DR THE HON FRANCIS TIEN SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
BUT HE WAS QUICK TO POINT OUT THAT HONG KONG IS NOT SHORT OF INVESTMENT CAPITAL OR OF MANAGERIAL TALENT.
SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT'S RECENT EFFORTS TO ASSIST HONG KONG'S INDUSTRY TO DIVERSIFY INTO NEW AND MORE REWARDING FIELDS, DR TIEN NOTED THAT THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT HAS ESTABLISHED THREE INDUSTRIAL PROMOTION OFFICES IN TOKYO, LONDON AND STUTTGART WITHIN A COMPARATIVELY SHORT SPACE OF TIME.
AND A FOURTH ONE, IN SAN FRANCISCO, IS DUE TO OPEN AT THE END OF NEXT MONTH.
+THEREFORE THE PROMOTION OF INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENTS, WITH THE PRIMARY AIM OF ATTRACTING NEW TECHNOLOGIES INTO HONG KONG, IS SOMETHING TO WHICH I FEEL SURE THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR OF HONG KONG WILL GIVE FULL SUPPORT,+ HE ADDED.
DR TIEN SAID HE WAS ALSO GLAD TO SEE THE GOVERNMENT TAKING STEPS TO MAKE AVAILABLE THE SORT OF FACILITIES WHICH LOCAL INDUSTRIES NEED, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREAS OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT.
HE CALLED ON THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT TO PROCEED WITH ALL SPEED IN ESTABLISHING THE STANDARDS AND CALIBRATION LABORATORY WHICH, HE POINTED OUT, WILL BE A POPULAR AND ESSENTIAL SERVICE TO THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY,
DR TIEN ALSO EXPRESSED HOPE THAT THE EXISTING POLICY ON INDUSTRY, DESIGNED WITH MINIMUM INTERFERENCE ON THE ONE HAND AND PROVISION FOR APPROPRIATE SUPPORT AND IMPETUS FOR HONG KONG TO ENTER INTO A NEW ERA OF ITS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE OTHER, WILL CONTINUE.
HE FELT THAT HONG KONG WILL CONTINUE TO RELY ON TEXTILES AND GARMENTS AS THE MAINSTAY OF ITS MANUFACTURING SECTOR.
→BUT WITH THE EFFORTS BEING MADE BY INVESTORS, AND COMPLEMENTED BY THE MEASURES ADOPTED BY THE GOVERNMENT, I AM SURE THE PROGRAMME OF DIVERSIFICATION WILL ADVANCE WITH SPEED AND DETERMINATION, HE SAID.
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