TUESDAY, JULY 1, 1986
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AMERICAN INVESTORS HAVE IMPORTANT ROLE
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THE AMERICAN BUSINESS COMMUNITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTANT TO HONG KONG AND THE UNITED STATES IS THE LARGEST OVERSEAS INVESTOR IN THE TERRITORY'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY, THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR STEUART WEBB-JOHNSON, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).
MR WEBB-JOHNSON SAID THE UNITED STATES ACCOUNTED FOR OVER 50 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL OVERSEAS INVESTMENT IN THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY.
+MORE THAN 800 COMPANIES WITH UNITED STATES CONNECTIONS ARE REGISTERED IN HONG KONG, INCLUDING 89 WHOLLY-OWNED AND 53 JOINT VENTURE MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS EMPLOYING SOME 40 000 WORKERS, HE SAID, WHEN OPENING TEKTRONIX HONG KONG LIMITED IN CAUSEWAY BAY.
TO CREATE AN EVEN BETTER ENVIRONMENT TO ENCOURAGE INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT IN HONG KONG, MR WEBB-JOHNSON SAID THE GOVERNMENT IN RECENT YEARS HAD FINANCED A NUMBER OF PROJECTS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE TECHNOLOGICAL FACILITIES IN SUPPORT OF MANUFACTURING.
+EXAMPLES ARE THE GOVERNMENT STANDARDS AND CALIBRATION LABORATORY AND THE GOVERNMENT'S FINANCING OF PROGRAMMES BEING UNDERTAKEN BY THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL TO PROMOTE INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION AND TO PROVIDE AN IMPROVED AND EXPANDED PRECISION TOOLING SERVICE.+
MR WEBB-JOHNSON SAID THE GOVERNMENT ALSO INVESTED HEAVILY IN MANPOWER TRAINING THROUGH ITS EDUCATION PROGRAMMES AND IN THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH INDUSTRIAL LAND FORMATION AND PUBLIC WORKS.
+AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, THE GOVERNMENT IS HOPEFUL THAT WHEN OVERSEAS MANUFACTURERS, PARTICULARLY THOSE POSSESSING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY, ARE LOOKING FOR A SUITABLE OFFSHORE MANUFACTURING BASE IN THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION, THEY WILL SEE HONG KONG AS A PLACE WHERE THEY MAY NOT ONLY ACHIEVE SUBSTANTIAL PROFITS BUT ALSO FIND ADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE AND TECHNOLOGICAL SUPPORT FOR THEIR OPERATIONS, HE ADDED.
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