N
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE NUMBER OF AMERICANS IN HONG KONG INCREASED TEN PER CENT LAST YEAR TO REACH ABOUT 15 000 AND THAT THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RECENTLY ATTAINED A MEMBERSHIP OF 2000.
+WE MUST MAKE THE MOST OF HONG KONG'S SPECIAL GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION. HONG KONG HAS AN IMPORTANCE AND SIGNIFICANCE WHICH TRANSCENDS THE IMMEDIATE INTERESTS OF ITS OWN PEOPLE.+
+1T IS A BRIDGE WHERE EAST MEETS WEST, A CENTRAL MEETING POINT AMONG THE 1.5 BILLION PEOPLE OF THAT DYNAMIC REGION OF THE WORLD,+ SIR DAVID SAID.
HONG KONG - A GATEWAY FOR CHINA TRADE
*****
HONG KONG IS NOT ONLY AN ATTRACTIVE MARKET FOR QUALITY GOODS AND SERVICES IN ITS OWN RIGHT, BUT IS ALSO A GATEWAY TO CHINA, AS WELL AS CHINA'S WINDOW ON THE WORLD, THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR E.P. HO SAID YESTERDAY (FRIDAY).
HE SAID THE PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION WOULD FACILITATE THE CONTINUANCE OF THESE ROLES AND HONG KONG'S EXCELLENT COMMUNICATIONS WOULD ENABLE IT TO PLAY THIS ROLE IN REGARD TO THE WESTERN PACIFIC RIM AS WELL.
D.C.
MR HO WAS SPEAKING AT THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB IN WASHINGTON
HE SAID: +WITH OUR TOTALLY OPEN ECONOMY, THERE ARE UNLIMITED OPPORTUNITIES FOR INCREASING U.S. EXPORTS TO THE TERRITORY.+
HE NOTED THAT ON A PER CAPITA BASIS, EACH MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD IN HONG KONG BOUGHT U.S.$580 WORTH OF U.S. PRODUCTS IN 1984. +THIS IS THREE TIMES MORE THAN OUR COUNTERPARTS IN JAPAN AND THE EEC.+
MR HO SAID ALTHOUGH THE SIZE OF THE U.S. ECONOMY WAS SUCH THAT HONG KONG COULD NEVER BE A MAJOR MARKET FOR THE U.S. AS A MOLE HONG KONG REPRESENTED A MARKET OF U.S.$3 BILLIONS FOR U.S. EXPORTS.
+FURTHERMORE, NOTWITHSTANDING OUR SMALL SIZE HONG KONG IMPORTED U.S.$103M WORTH OR 44.2 PER CENT OF U.S. EXPORTS OF ALUMINIUM STRUCTURES IN 1984.
WE ARE THE SECOND LARGEST MARKET FOR AMERICAN POULTRY AND JIGARETTES AND THE THIRD LARGEST MARKET FOR U.S. ORANGES AND EGGS IN THE WHOLE WORLD.+
/ON U.S.'S