FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1987
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CHINA NOW RANKS THIRD IN INVESTORS' LIST
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CHINA IS NOW THE THIRD LARGEST FOREIGN INVESTOR IN HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, TRAILING ONLY THE UNITED STATES AND JAPAN, ACCORDING TO A STUDY BY THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT.
THE STUDY FOUND THAT CHINA'S STAKE IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR STOOD AT $2 851 MILLION REPRESENTING 18.4 PER CENT OF TOTAL OVERSEAS INVESTMENT BASED ON ORIGINAL COST.
THE UNITED KINGDOM, WHICH RANKED THIRD IN THE LAST SURVEY CARRIED OUT IN 1984, NOW LIES FOURTH ON THE LIST.
THE FINDINGS ARE CONTAINED IN THE DEPARTMENT'S +1986 SURVEY OF OVERSEAS INVESTMENT IN HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES+ PUBLISHED TODAY (FRIDAY).
THE SCOPE OF THE 1986 SURVEY HAS BEEN EXPANDED TO INCLUDE DATA NOT COVERED IN PREVIOUS SURVEYS. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME, FOR INSTANCE, THAT DATA ON CHINESE INVESTMENT HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN THE SURVEY TO UPDATE THE DEPARTMENT'S INFORMATION ON FACTORIES WITH OVERSEAS INTERESTS.
THE REPORT, COVERING THE PERIOD JANUARY 1985 TO MARCH 1986, DOES NOT REPRESENT AN EXHAUSTIVE STUDY OF OVERSEAS INVESTMENT IN HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES. INSTEAD IT IS BASED ON INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY 509 FACTORIES KNOWN TO THE DEPARTMENT TO INVOLVE OVERSEAS INTERESTS.
ONE OF THE REPORT'S KEY FINDINGS IS THAT THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF OVERSEAS INVESTMENT AMOUNTED TO $15 527 MILLION WITH THE UNITED STATES, JAPAN AND CHINA ACCOUNTING FOR 75.9 PER CENT OF TOTAL INVESTMENT.
OF THIS, WORKING CAPITAL ACCOUNTED FOR 43.3 PER CENT MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT 32.8 PER CENT, AND LAND AND BUILDINGS 17.6 PER CENT.
THE INVESTMENT VALUE IS BASED ON THE FIXED ASSETS OF THE COMPANIES SURVEYED AT ORIGINAL COST BEFORE DEPRECIATION AND THEIR WORKING CAPITAL AS AT THE END OF THE REPORTING PERIODS ADOPTED BY THE COMPANIES.
THE UNITED STATES MAINTAINED ITS POSITION AS THE TOP OVERSEAS INVESTOR IN HONG KONG'S MANUAFCTURING SECTOR. THE AMERICANS INVESTED A TOTAL OF $5 659 MILLION (36.4 PER CENT OF TOTAL INVESTMENT) IN 143 MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS EMPLOYING MORE THAN 35 000 WORKERS.
/JAPAN REMAINED ..................