WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1984
MAJOR SHIPPING POSITION WILL BE PRESERVED
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SIR EDWARD
THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, TODAY (WEDNESDAY) EXPRESSED CONFIDENCE THAT HÔNG KONG WITH ITS FINE HARBOUR AND MODERN PORT FACILITIES WOULD PRESERVE ITS POSITION AS A MAJOR SHIPPING CENTRE IN THE FUTURE.
SIR
+ SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE SEATRADE CONFERENCE EDWARD SAID SPECIFIC PROVISIONS HAD BEEN INCLUDED IN THE SINO- BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE EXISTING SYSTEMS OF SHIPPING MANAGEMENT AND REGULATION.
+THESE DETAILED ASSURANCES PROVIDE A SOUND FOUNDATION FOR THE CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG AS A FREE PORT AND AS AN INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING CENTRE, HE SAID.
HONG KONG, LOCATED AT THE HUB OF THE FAST-DEVELOPING ASIA- PACIFIC REGION, HAD NOT ONLY A FINE HARBOUR BUT ALSO MODERN PORT FACILITIES. ITS HIGHLY EFFICIENT SHIPPING SERVICE WAS IMPORTANT FOR HONG KONG SINCE 91 PER CENT OF ALL ITS CARGOES, BOTH IMPORTED AND EXPORTED, WERE CARRIED BY SEA.
+1 THINK WE CAN TAKE PRIDE IN OUR PORT FACILITIES. THE CONTAINER TERMINAL AT KWAI CHUNG IS JUSTIFIABLY REGARDED AS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF MODERN FACILITIES BACKED UP BY ADVANCED MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES,+ SIR EDWARD SAID.
LAST YEAR, A TOTAL OF 1.84 MILLION TWENTY FOOT EQUIVALENT UNITS (TEU) WERE HANDLED IN HONG KONG WHICH ESTABLISHED HONG KONG AS THE WORLD'S THIRD LARGEST CONTAINER PORT. OF THESE, SOME 1.64 MILLION TEV'S WERE HANDLED AT KWAI CHUNG,
TO CATER FOR EXPECTED GROWTH OF CONTAINER THROUGHPUT INTO THE NEXT DECADE, A THREE-PHASE EXPANSION PROGRAMME HAD BEEN LAUNCHED AT KWAI CHUNG, HE SAID.
THE PROGRAMME INCLUDED RECLAMATION OF AN ADDITIONAL 25.5 HECTARES OF LAND AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF A THREE-BERTH TERMINAL AND A FURTHER TWO TERMINALS, HE ADDED.
TO ENSURE THAT PORT FACILITIES OF ALL TYPES KEEP ABREAST OF DEMAND, SIR EDWARD SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS CONDUCTING A PORT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY STUDY TO ASSESS REQUIREMENTS UP TO THE YEAR 2001 AND TO DETERMINE HOW ANY SHORTFALL IN FACILITIES COULD BEST BE MET.
FOR MANY YEARS, HONG KONG HAD HAD GOOD SHIP REPAIR FACILITIES, AND IT CONTINUED TO DEMONSTRATE ITS CAPABILITY AND POTENTIAL TO RESPOND TO THE DEMANDS OF A WIDE RANGE OF MARINE BASED ENDEAVOURS AND TO THE EXACTING DEMANDS OF THE OF-SHORE DEVELOPMENT OF OIL RESOURCES, HE SAID.
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