WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 1987
46
SIGNIFICANCE OF ASIA-PACIFIC DEVELOPMENT STRESSED
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EUROPE SHOULD REGARD THE EMERGING ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC AREA AS A CHALLENGE, RATHER THAN CONFRONTATION, THE BELGIAN MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND FOREIGN TRADE, MR HERMAN DE CROO, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
MR DE CROO, WAS GUEST SPEAKER AT THE LUNCH OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, HONG KONG GATEWAY TO CHINA AND THE SOUTH-EAST ASIAN REGION HELD IN BRUSSELS TODAY.
ADDRESSING SOME 150 DELEGATES ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC AREA FOR BELGIUM AND HER EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURS, MR DE CROO SAID, THE ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE TO THE WORLD ECONOMY OF THIS HUGE REGION HAS INCREASED IN TRULY SPECTACULAR FASHION IN RECENT YEARS AND EUROPE SHOULD NOT AND INDEED CANNOT AFFORD TO VIEW THIS SHIFT OF FOCUS OF WORLD TRADE AS CONFRONTATION BUT RATHER AS CHALLENGE WHICH IT MUST ENDEAVOUR TO TAKE UP.
MR DE CROO ALSO SAID, +IN BELGIUM ALONE, VARIOUS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS THE BELGIAN OFFİCE OF FOREIGN TRADE AND VARIOUS CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, HAVE BEEN PRIME MOVERS IN PROMOTING MUTUALLY PROFITABLE ECONOMIC RELATIONS IN THE REGION+.
+
+IN THIS CONTEXT, BELIEVE THAT GRATEFUL THANKS ARE DUE TO THE RECENTLY ESTABLISHED +BELGIUM-HONG KONG SOCIETY+ WHICH HAS INVITED SUCH A LARGE NUMBER OF DISTINGUISHED EXPERTS WITH PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE OF HONG KONG TO COME AND SPEAK HERE TODAY AND SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES,+ THE MINISTER SAID.
ON BELGIUM'S TRADING TRADITIONS WITH HONG KONG AND CHINA, MR DE CROO NOTED THAT THEY ARE IN FACT THE LINCHPIN OF THE WHOLE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR ECONOMIC INFLUENCE IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD.+
+A SPECIFIC ILLUSTRATION SUPPORTING THIS ASSERTION IS THE FACT THAT AROUND 30 BELGIAN FIRMS OF ALL KINDS HAVE AN AGENCY IN HONG KONG, WHILE OUR BANKING SECTOR, MORE PARTICULARLY THE BELGIAN BANK, WHICH HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS THERE FOR OVER 50 YEARS AND HAS 15 OR SO HIGHLY CONSPICIOUS BRANCHES, PLAYS A LEADING ROLE IN THE TERRITORY'S AFFAIRS.
HE ALSO SAID BELGIAN FIRMS WERE MANAGING TO SUSTAIN RELATIVELY SUBSTANTIAL FLOW OF TRADE IN GOODS WHICH - IN MANY CASES - WERE RE-EXPORTED TO THE CHINESE MAINLAND.
+IN ADDITION TO OUR MAIN EXPORT - BIAMONDS. WE ARE AWARE OF AN INCREASED DEMAND FOR BELGIAN CONSUMER GOODS IN HỒNG KONG, MAINLY LEISURE AND FOOD STUFFS.
+AS FOR IMPORTS FROM HONG KONG, THESE INCREASED BY 6 PER CENT IN 1986 BUT ARE STILL BELOW THE VALUE OF BELGIUM'S EXPORTS TO THE TERRITORY,+ HE ADDED.
TURNING TO LARGE SCALE PROJECTS, MR DE CROO SAID:
/+BELGIAN INDUSTRIES