TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1988
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THE THEME OF HIS TALK WAS "HONG KONG IN TRANSITION" IN WHICH MR ALLEYNE EXPLAINED THE TERRITORY'S DYNAMIC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ITS SOCIAL PROGRESS, AND THE DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG'S RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA BOTH ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL.
HE TOLD HIS AUDIENCE: IMPORTANCE OF HONG KONG AS FINANCE CONTINUING TO GROW.
"FOR THE FUTURE I SEE A CENTRE OF TRADE,
THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNICATION AND
"AT THE SAME TIME, HONG KONG'S UNRIVALLED GATEWAY TO CHINA WILL CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN.
POSITION AS A
"THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF THE HONG KONG AND CHINESE ECONOMIES WILL BECOME GREATER, AND HONG KONG WILL INCREASINGLY BECOME A SERVICES CENTRE FOR CHINESE INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE; FOR THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION AS A WHOLE; AND FOR ALL OF US, THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CITY.
HE TOLD HIS AUDIENCE IN STOCKHOLM TODAY THAT TRADE BETWEEN TERRITORY AND SWEDEN HAD GROWN SUBSTANTIALLY.
THE
LAST YEAR IT ROSE BY 45 PER CENT TO HK$4,251 MILLION COMPARED WITH 1986 AND HONG KONG, WHICH PRACTICED FREE TRADE WELCOMED SWEDISH GOODS AND WOULD BE HAPPY TO SEE AN INCREASE IN SWEDEN'S SHARE OF THE TERRITORY'S IMPORT MARKET.
"IN THE PAST, THE BALANCE OF THE TWO-WAY TRADE HAS BEEN IN HONG KONG'S FAVOUR, BUT THE GROWTH RATE OF SWEDISH EXPORTS TO HONG KONG HAS OUTPACED THE GROWTH RATE OF HONG KONG'S EXPORTS TO SWEDEN IN RECENT YEARS," MR ALLEYNE SAID.
SWEDEN HAD ALSO BECOME A MORE SIGNIFICANT RE-EXPORT MARKET FOR HONG KONG. BETWEEN 1985 AND LAST YEAR THE RE-EXPORT OF NON-HONG KONG ORIGIN MERCHANDISE SHOWED AN INCREASE OF ALMOST 400 PER CENT AT HK$699 MILLION.
"THIS IS A CLEAR INDICATION THAT HONG KONG HAD RE-EMERGED AS AN IMPORTANT TRANS-SHIPMENT CENTRE FOR OTHER COUNTRIES IN EAST HE SAID.
ASIA,
MR ALLEYNE TOLD HIS AUDIENCES IN HELSINKI AND STOCKHOLM THAT HONG KONG HAD CHANGED AND "IS CONTINUING TO CHANGE IN THREE WAYS. IT HAS BECOME A TRADING AND FINANCIAL CENTRE OF INTERNATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE. ITS PEOPLE HAVE BECOME RICHER AND BETTER EDUCATED; THEY EXPECT MORE OUT OF LIFE.
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"FINALLY THE NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA HAS BROUGHT, ON ONE HAND, GREAT ECONOMIC BENEFITS AND, ON THE OTHER CHALLENGE OF 1997," HE SAID.
THE
HAND,
THE
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