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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1985
+A GROWING NUMBER OF CANADIAN EXPORTERS HAVE BECOME AWARE OF THE IMMENSE MARKET OPPORTUNITIES IN HONG KONG.
+THERE ARE MORE THAN 50 REGIONAL AND BRANCH OFFICES MAINTAINED BY CANADIAN FIRMS IN HONG KONG. IN ADDITION, OVER 300 CANADIAN COMPANIES HAVE DISTRIBUTORS, AGENTS OR SOME OTHER FORM OF REPRESENTATION IN OUR TERRITORY.+
MR CHEONG-LEEN SAID THAT LAST YEAR TWO-WAY TRADE BETWEEN CANADA AND HONG KONG INCREASED BY ABOUT 19 PER CENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR TO $6 760 MILLION WITH HONG KONG HAVING A TRADE SURPLUS OF $4 152 MILLION. THIS PLACED CANADA AS HONG KONG'S 10TH LARGEST TRADING PARTNER IN THE WORLD.
+SO IT IS NO EXAGGERATION TO SAY THAT CANADA AND HONG KONG ENJOY A CLOSE TRADING AND ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP. BUT WE WOULD LIKE CANADIANS TO SELL MORE TO HONG KONG AND TO INVEST MORE IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.
+HONG KONG HAS BECOME AN ATTRACTIVE AND CONVENIENT GATEWAY FOR CANADIAN FIRMS DOING BUSINESS OR INTENDING TO DO BUSINESS WITH CHINA.+
MR CHEONG-LEEN EXPLAINED THAT THIS WAS BECAUSE HONG KONG WAS SITUATED CLOSE TO CHINA AND BLESSED WITH ITS SOPHISTICATED COMMERCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE, A FINE NATURAL HARBOUR, AND AN EXCELLENT NETWORK OF TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION LINKS WITH CHINA AND THE REST OF THE WORLD.
IN CONCLUSION, HE SAID HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT CANADIANS AND HONGKONGIANS WOULD HAVE MANY OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FUTURE TO WORK TOGETHER FOR MUTUAL BENEFIT.
+THIS FIRST VISIT OF THE HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL DELEGATION TO VANCOUVER IS A REAFFIRMATION OF OUR ALREADY CLOSE AND FRIENDLY RELATIONSHIP,+ HE ADDED.
DURING THE URBAN COUNCIL GROUP'S FOUR-DAY VISIT TO VANCOUVER, THEY ARE TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE HONG KONG, TO LOOK AT MUNICIPAL FACILITIES THERE -- INCLUDING THE EXPO '86 SITE AND TO RENEW CULTURAL AND OTHER LINKS WITH THE CANADIAN PEOPLE. AS WELL AS WITH FORMER HONG KONG RESIDENTS WHO HAVE ÉMIGRATED TO CANADA,
OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GROUP COMPRISE URBAN COUNCILLORS MESSRS AUGUSTINE CHUNG, JOSEPH CHAN AND TONG KAM-BIU, AS WELL AS THE SECRETARY OF THE URBAN COUNCIL,
MR ROY SPENCER.
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