THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1984
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TRADE MISSION RETURNS FROM JAPAN
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THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, LADY YOUDE AND SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG ÉCONOMIC MISSION RETURNED TO HONG KONG LATE LAST (WEDNESDAY) NIGHT AFTER A FOUR-DAY VISIT TO JAPAN.
THE GROUP, INCLUDING SIR S.Y. CHUNG, MISS LYDIA DUNN, MR ERIC Но MR JAMES WÚ AND MR S.K. NGAI, WAS MET BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE.
THE FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE GOVERNOR'S STATEMENT TO REPORTERS AT THE AIRPORT:
+WE HAD A VERY GOOD VISIT TO JAPAN, AS YOU PROBABLY HAVE SEEN. WE SAW MOST OF THE SENIOR JAPANESE LEADERS, INCLUDING THE PRIME MINISTER, THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, FINANCE MINISTER, THE MINISTER FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND INDUSTRY, AND THE MINISTER AND DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE ECONOMIC PLANNING AGENCY, AND WE ALSO HAD USEFUL DISCUSSIONS WITH MR ESAKI, WHO IS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE LDP SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC MEASURES.
THIS VISIT ENABLED US TO DISCUSS WITH THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENTAL LEADERS AND A WIDE RANGE OF BUSINESS LEADERS THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPANDING THE ECONOMIC AND COMMERCIAL RELATIONS BETWEEN JAPAN AND HONG KONG, PARTICULARLY THROUGH THE PROMOTION OF JAPANESE INVESTMENT IN HONG KONG AND EXPANSION OF HONG KONG EXPORTS TO JAPAN. AND THROUGHOUT THESE DISCUSSIONS, WE FOUND A GREAT DEAL OF GOOD WILL TOWARDS HONG KONG AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF THAT ECONOMIC AND COMMERCIAL RELATIONSHIP.
WHILE WE WERE THERE OF COURSE, WE WERE ENGAGED IN SOME MORE SPECIFIC MATTERS AND PARTICULARLY THROUGH THE HONG KONG AND JAPAN BUSINESS CO-OPERATION COMMITTEE OF WHICH SIR S.Y. IS THE CHAIRMAN, SO I'LL LET HIM TELL YOU A LITTLE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT FRONT. SIR S.Y.+
THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF SIR S.Y. CHUNG'S REMARK:
+WE HAVE MADE VERY STRONG REPRESENTATIONS TO THE SENIOR GOVERNMENT MINISTERS ABOUT THE REMOVAL OF THE THREE REMAINING ITEMS OF THE ESP AND WE HAVE INDICATIONS FROM THEM, IN PARTICULAR FROM THE FOREIGN SECRETARY THAT THEY WILL SERIOUSLY LOOK INTO THE MATTER AND HOPEFULLY WILL GIVE US AN ANSWER IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
WE HAVE ALSO HAD A VERY FRUITFUL DISCUSSION WITH THE JAPAN TOY ASSOCIATION, SEEKING THE INTERNALIZATION OF THEIR SAFETY TOY MARK, GENERALLY KNOWN AS THE ST MARK, SO THAT OUR TOY PRODUCTS NEED NOT BE SENT TO JAPAN FOR TESTING AND CERTIFICATION. INSTEAD LICENCE AND TESTING FACILITIES IN HONG KONG WILL BE ABLE TO DO THAT IN HONG KONG. THIS WILL CERTAINLY FACILITATE THE SALE OF THE HONG KONG TOY PRODUCTS IN JAPAN,
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