MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1986
*REAL FUND OF GOODWILL FOR HK'
******
SIR DAVID
THERE WAS +A TREMENDOUS INTEREST+ IN, AND A REAL FUND OF GOODWILL FOR HONG KONG IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).
SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AT THE AIRPORT ON HIS RETURN FROM HIS WEEK-LONG VISIT TO NORTH AMERICA, SIR DAVID SAID HE HAD MET
AND IN U.S. SENATORS, CONGRESSMEN, BUSINESSMEN AND OFFICIALS. MONTREAL, CANADA, HE HAD SPOKEN TO MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG- CANADA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION.
SPEAKING OF HIS MEETING IN MONTREAL, WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS FIRST CLASS, SIR DAVID SAID HE HAD BEEN ABLE TO TALK TO ABOUT 200 PERSONS WHO HAD COME FROM ALL OVER CANADA TO ATTEND THAT MEETING+.
HE ADDED: +SO I THINK THAT DEMONSTRATES THE INTEREST THAT THERE IS, BECAUSE IT WAS VERY COLD, SNOWY WEATHER, AND THEY HAD COME FROM ALL OVER CANADA TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY OF LISTENING TO WHAT I HAD TO SAY.+
ASKED HOW HONG KONG COULD FURTHER PROMOTE TRADE
WITH NORTH AMERICA, SIR DAVID SAID THIS WAS ALREADY HAPPENING BECAUSE OF THE INCREASING NUMBER OF AMERICAN ORGANISATIONS WHICH ARE COMING TO HONG KONG TO SET UP THEIR HEADQUARTERS AND TO DO BUSINESS.
+AND, OF COURSE, THE MORE THAT OUR OWN REPRESENTATIVES IN NORTH AMERICA AND IN THE UNITED STATES GENERALLY KNOW ABOUT HONG KONG, THEN THE MORE WE CAN PROMOTE HONG KONG'S INTERESTS.
+SO I THINK WE MUST DO MORE.
WE ARE DOING A LOT ALREADY,
BUT WE MUST DO MORE, HE ADDED.
ASKED ABOUT PROTECTIONISM IN THE UNITED STATES, SIR DAVID SAID IT WAS +ANOTHER MATTER+, AND THAT IT WAS +A REQUIREMENT OF AMERICA'S OWN DOMESTIC PROBLEMS AND POLITICS+.
+BUT THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THERE IS A FUND OF GOODWILL RUNNING FOR HONG KONG IN NORTH AMERICA, HE SAID.
SIR DAVID SAID HIS TRIP WAS +MARVELLOUS AND VERY USEFUL+ IN THAT HE WAS ABLE TO SEE +A GREAT MANY PEOPLE IN MONTREAL, WASHINGTON AND PHILADELPHIA+.
IN WASHINGTON, SIR DAVID SAID, HE HAD A CONFERENCE WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, INDUSTRIAL OFFICES AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICES AND REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS AND THE HONG KONG AND SHANGHAI BANK IN THE UNITED STATES.
THE CONFERENCE