8
WORKFORCE. THEIR SALES IN 1983 AMOUNTED TO US$1,68
BILLION, REPRESENTING NEARLY 10 PERCENT OF HONG KONG'S
DOMESTIC EXPORTS IN THAT YEAR. WE WELCOME OVERSEAS
INVESTMENT, RECOGNISING THAT IT MAKES A MAJOR
CONTRIBUTION TO OUR PROSPERITY AND COMPETITIVENESS.
PARTICULAR, THE DIRECT SPREAD OF NEW TECHNOLOGY IN HONG
KONG THROUGH THE PARTICIPATION OF US COMPANIES IN OUR
MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IS IMPORTANT TO US IN OUR
EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND VALUE OF OUR
PRODUCTS. FOR OUR PART WE OFFER AN ENVIRONMENT IN
IN
WHICH THERE IS A FREE FLOW OF CAPITAL AND OF RETURN ON INVESTMENT WITHOUT EXCHANGE CONTROL.
16.
BY ANY STANDARDS HONG KONG IS THUS ABLE TO OFFER A STRONG PROSPECTUS TO THOSE SEEKING TO DO
BUT DURING THE LAST TWO OR THREE BUSINESS WITH US.
YEARS THE WORLD SAW A QUESTION MARK OVER OUR FUTURE AFTER 1997. IT TOOK TWO YEARS OF NEGOTIATION
CFTEN DIFFICUIT AND ALWAYS INTENSIVE, BETWEEN
THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND THE UNITED KINGDOM TO PRODUCE THE ANSWER.
THE ISSUES WERE NOT
EASY ONES. THEY POSED COMPLEX POLITICAL,
CONSTITUTIONAL, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEMS FOR BOTH SIDES WHICH HAD GROWN OUT OF OVER 150 YEARS OF
CHEQUERED HISTORY AND SEPARATE DEVELOPMENT.
A SOLUTION
WHICH RECONCILED THE NEEDS OF TWO VERY DIFFERENT
SYSTEMS HAD TO BE FOUND.
DURING THE NEGOTIATIONS HONG
WE BEGAN THE
KONG PASSED THROUGH SOME ROUGH WATER.
/NEGOTIATIONS