7.
MAY 8, 1985
+THIS IN TURN HAS ATTRACTED MANY INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSES TO HONG KONG. THEY FIND THERE A FREE MARKET SYSTEM AND A SYSTEM OF LAW WHICH ARE FAMILIAR TO THEM. IN CONSEQUENCE HONG KONG HAS ALSO GROWN INTO ONE OF THE FOREMOST FINANCIAL CENTRES OF THE WORLD WHERE ALL THOSE FINANCIAL SERVICES SO NECESSARY TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ADVANCED ECONOMY CAN BE FOUND.
+FROM THESE WIDE-RANGING INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS IN THE FIELDS OF INDUSTRY, COMMERCE, FINANCE AND BANKING AND COMMUNICATIONS HONG KONG HAS BEEN ABLE TO GAIN EXPERIENCE OF THE MOST MODERN MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES, THE MOST MODERN METHODS OF MANUFACTURING, AND THE FAST-CHANGING TECHNIQUES AND PRACTICES OF THE REST OF THE WORLD TRADING AND FINANCIAL SYSTEMS.
+IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT IN RECENT YEARS THERE WAS SOME DOUBT ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. WITH THE SIGNING OF THE SINO-BRITISH DECLARATION AT THE END OF LAST YEAR THE WAY FORWARD HAS BECOME CLEAR. SINCE THE SIGNING OF THE AGREEMENT, AND THE PUBLIC COMMITMENTS MADE BY THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL TO MAINTAINING THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG, THERE HAVE BEEN MANY ENCOURAGING SIGNS OF RETURNING ECONOMIC AND COMMERCIAL CONFIDENCE.
+FOR ITS PART, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS INVESTED SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE NECESSARY TO COMPLEMENT AND SUPPORT OUR NATURAL AND MAN-MADE ADVANTAGES IN ORDER TO STIMULATE ECONOMIC PROGRESS AND TO ENSURE THAT HONG KONG WILL REMAIN THE VIBRANT AND DYNAMIC CITY THAT IT IS TODAY.
+MR MAYOR, I AM SURE THAT THIS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOTH ON YOUR PART AND ON OURS WILL PROVIDE GREAT SCOPE FOR FUTURE COOPERATION BETWEEN US. THE +MADE IN HONG KONG 85+ HONG KONG PRODUCT EXHIBITION IS DESIGNED TO SHOW YOU WHAT WE IN HONG KONG CAN DO AND WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE INTEREST WHICH YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES IN SHANGHAI, AND FROM MANY OTHER PARTS OF CHINA, HAVE SHOWN IN IT. BUT LET ME ALSO MAKE CLEAR THAT YOUR ENTERPRISES ARE EQUALLY WELCOME IN HONG KONG. SOME HAVE ALREADY ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES THERE. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT CHINESE INVESTMENT IN HONG KONG OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS HAS BEEN VALUED AT ABOUT US$5 BILLION. THE SCOPE FOR INVESTMENT IS EXTENSIVE, INCLUDING INDUSTRY, COMMERCE, TRADE, TRANSPORTATION, FINANCE AND PROPERTY. GIVEN THE COMPLEMENTARY ADVANTAGES WHICH WE CAN OFFER TO EACH OTHER, THERE IS NO REASON WHY THE DRAMATIC GROWTH IN TWO-WAY TRADE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS SHOULD NOT CONTINUE.
+ THE HOLDING OF THE HONG KONG PRODUCT EXHIBITION HERE IS A FITTING SYMBOL OF AN ALREADY CLOSE AND BENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIP. BUT IT ALSO RECOGNISES THAT WE CANNOT AFFORD TO REST ON OUR LAURELS: WE MUST LOOK TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND NEW AREAS OF BUSINESS. I AM SURE THAT THIS EXHIBITION WILL MARK THE BEGINNING OF A NEW AND EVEN MORE SUCCESSFUL PHASE IN THE ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HONG KONG AND SHANGHAI,+
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