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BANKS AND FIRMS SHOW FAITH IN HK, GOVERNOR SAYS
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MANY COMPANIES, BANKS AND ORGANISATIONS BOTH HERE AND OVERSEAS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE IR FAITH IN HONG KONG BY NEW INVESTMENT, BY THE EXTENSION OF FINANCIAL FACILITIES AND BY THE EXPANSION OF THEIR OPERATIONS IN HONG KONG.
THIS WAS STATED THIS (FRIDAY) EVENING BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, IN A SPEECH AT THE GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE'S ANNUAL DINNER.
OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS, FOUR MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES HAVE ANNOUNCED PLANS TO INVEST IN HONG KONG, TWO MAJOR BANKS HAVE ANNOUNCED MAJOR BUILDING REDEVELOPMENT PLANS AND APPLICATIONS FOR NEW BANK LICENCES BY FOUR FOREIGN BANKS WERE ACCEPTED, SIR EDWARD POINTED OUT.
IN ADDITION, HE SAID, 16 FULLY OR PARTLY OVERSEAS-OWNED FACTORIES ARE KNOWN TO HAVE COMMENCED OPERATIONS IN HONG KONG AND 115 FOREIGN COMPANIES HAVE ESTABLISHED BRANCH OFFICES HERE IN THE SAME PERIOD.
+GLOOM AND DISASTER CATCH THE HEADLINES. BUT THERE IS A LARGE AND MORE ENCOURAGING SIDE TO THE PICTURE, SIR EDWARD STATED.
TURNING TO THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE, SIR EDWARD STRESSED THE FIRST FUNDAMENTAL IS THAT ALL THE PARTIES INVOLVED HAVE A STRONG AND SHARED INTEREST IN THEIR SUCCESS.
NOTHING HAS CHANGED THIS COMMON AIM SINCE PRIME MINISTER MARGARET THATCHER'S STATE VISIT TO CHINA FOUR MONTHS AGO, HE STRESSED.
THE SECOND FUNDAMENTAL IS THAT THE SOLUTION TO THE 1997 ISSUE WILL HAVE TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE INTERESTS NOT ONLY OF BRITAIN AND CHINA BUT OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE WHOSE FUTURE IS INVOLVED IN THE NEGOTIATIONS, HE SAID.
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+ IN THIS CONNECTION DO NOT THINK IT IS THE CASE THAT. AS SOME SUGGEST, THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG ARE NOT BEING EXPRESSED OR NOT BEING TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
+SO TO SUGGEST THIS SHOWS LITTLE UNDERSTANDING OF THE WAY IN WHICH IN THIS TERRITORY THE VIEWS OF ORGANISATIONS, BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS AND THE MAN IN THE STREET ARE REFLECTED UPWARDS TO GOVERNMENT, SIR EDWARD STATED.
IF PEOPLE, WISH TO MAKE THEIR VIEWS PUBLIC, THE PRESS AND MEDIA ARE ALWAYS READY TO GIVE THEM SPACE, HE SAID.
+ IF THEY WISH TO CONVEY THEIR VIEWS MORE QUIETLY AND MORE DELIBERATELY, AND MANY DO, THERE ARE NUMEROUS CHANNELS OPEN TO
THEM
+AND FOR THOSE WHO HAVE FORGOTTEN LET ME REMIND THEM THAT THE PRIME MINISTER HERSELF GAVE AN ASSURANCE TO THE DELEGATION OF UNOFFICIALS WHICH SHE SAW IN SEPTEMBER THAT THOSE VIEWS WOULD BE REPRESENTED IN THE TALKS IN PEKING, SIR EDWARD SAID.
/THE THIRD