5.

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY WHICH WAS TINY IN 1950

NOW EMPLOYS SOME 35% OF HONG KONG'S WORK FORCE AND

ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT 22% OF ITS GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT.

SOME 90% OF ITS MANUFACTURING OUTPUT IS EXPORTED, FOR

HONG KONG HAS ALWAYS HAD TO EARN ITS LIVING BY

INTERNATIONAL TRADE. TODAY, HONG KONG RANKS 20TH IN

THE WORLD AS AN EXPORTER, AND 18TH IN TOTAL TRADE. IN

VALUE TERMS, WE ARE THE WORLD'S LARGEST EXPORTER OF

GARMENTS, TOYS AND OF SOME PLASTIC PRODUCTS; AND IN

QUANTITY TERMS, THE WORLD'S LARGEST EXPORTER OF

WATCHES, CLOCKS AND RADIOS. OUR MANUFACTURERS HAVE

STEADILY UPGRADED THE QUALITY AND RANGE OF THE IR

PRODUCTS, IN RESPONSE TO CHANGES IN MARKET CONDITIONS

AND DEMAND.

6.

THE 1970S SAW HONG KONG'S EMERGENCE AS AN

INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL CENTRE. THE FINANCIAL SECTOR

NOW PROVIDES A FULL RANGE OF SERVICES IN SUPPORT OF

HONG KONG'S OWN ECONOMY, AND CONDUCTS AN IMPRESSIVE AND

THERE ARE INCREASING VOLUME OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS.

140 LICENSED BANKS IN HONG KONG, THREE QUARTERS OF THEM

FROM OVERSEAS. AS MANY OF YOU HERE TODAY WILL KNOW,

HONG KONG IS THE THIRD LARGEST FINANCIAL CENTRE IN THE

WORLD, AFTER NEW, YORK AND LONDON.

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