TUESDAY, MAY 19, 1987
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CHAMBER REFLECTS GROWING BRITISH BUSINESS INTEREST IN HK
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THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SEPARATE BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN HONG KONG REFLECTED A GROWING INTEREST AMONG BRITISH BUSINESSMEN IN THE TERRITORY, BOTH IN ITS OWN RIGHT AND AS A GATEWAY TO CHINA, THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, SAID THIS EVENING (TUESDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE INAUGURATION RECEPTION OF THE BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, SIR DAVID SAID THE UNITED KINGDOM WAS THE FOURTH LARGEST MARKET FOR HONG KONG'S DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND THE SEVENTH LARGEST SUPPLIER OF HONG KONG'S IMPORTS.
+THE VALUE OF BRITISH INVESTMENT IN HONG KONG IS VERY LARGE, INCLUDING AS IT DOES, SERVICE, FINANCING AND TRADING COMPANIES. PRECISE FIGURES FOR THESE SECTORS ARE DIFFICULT TO COME BY, BUT INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT ALONE IS OVER $1 BILLION, THE GOVERNOR SAID.
HE ADDED THAT IN 1986, HONG KÔNG BOUGHT FROM BRITAIN GOODS WORTH ABOUT 960 MILLION POUND (ABOUT HK$12.5 BILLION), MAKING HONG KONG THE SECOND LARGEST MARKET FOR BRITISH EXPORTS IN ASIA, COMING JUST AFTER JAPAN,
+LET'S BRING THESE STATISTICS DOWN TO A HANAGEABLE SIZE. THEY MEAN THAT EVERY MAN, WOMAN OR CHILD IN HONG KONG BUYS POUND STERLING 177 (ABOUT HK$2 318) WORTH OF BRITISH GOODS EACH YEAR. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HONG KONG AS A MARKET IS CLEAR IF YOU COMPARE THIS WITH POUND STERLING 140 (ABOUT ME81 834) PER HEAD IN WEST GERMANY, POUND STERLING 45 (ABOUT HK$589) PER HEAD IN THE UNITED STATES AND POUND STERLING 10 (ABOUT HK$131) PER HEAD IN JAPAN,+ HE SAID.
HE ALSO SAID HE SENSED A NEW DETERMINATION OF BRITISH BUSINESSMEN TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE HONG KONG MARKET AND TO WORK IN IT.
+WE IN HONG KONG WELCOME THIS TREND. WE HOPE THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BRITISH CHAMBER WILL HELP TO MAINTAIN AND DEVELOP THIS INTEREST AND STRENGTHEN THE TRADING LINKS BETWEEN US, HE ADDED.
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