MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1988
1
GOVERNOR STARTS EUROPEAN TOUR
THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, BEGAN THE FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT BY A GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG TO GERMANY, BELGIUM AND FRANCE WITH A BUSY SCHEDULE OF ENGAGEMENTS IN BONN TODAY (MONDAY).
THE GOVERNOR CALLED FIRST ON THE STATE SECRETARY AT THE WEST GERMAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DR JURGEN SUDHOFF, WHO HOSTED A LUNCH FOR SIR DAVID AFTER THE MEETING.
IN HONG
THE MINISTRY HAS PREVIOUSLY EXPRESSED FULL CONFIDENCE KONG'S FUTURE AND DR SUDHOFF SAID HIS GOVERNMENT WELCOMED THE MANNER IN WHICH RELATIONS BETWEEN THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY AND HONG KONG WERE CONTINUING TO DEVELOP.
EXAMPLES OF THIS INCLUDE THE STRONG GROWTH IN TOURISM BETWEEN THE TWO PLACES, WITH BOTH CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS AND LUFTHANSA INCREASING THEIR SERVICES.
BY
WEST GERMANY'S IMPORTANCE TO HONG KONG IS FURTHER REFLECTED THE PRESENCE OF THE TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, HONG KONG TOURIST ASSOCIATION AND CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS IN FRANKFURT.
SIR DAVID BRIEFED THE STATE SECRETARY ON HONG KONG'S LATEST ACHIEVEMENTS AND ON PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE.
HE DESCRIBED HONG KONG'S IMPORTANCE AS A DOMESTIC CENTRE FOR TRADE AND INVESTMENT IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION GATEWAY TO CHINA.
AT THE LUNCH GIVEN BY DR SUDHOFF, THE GOVERNOR SEVERAL PEOPLE WITH AN INTEREST IN HONG KONG.
MARKET, A AND AS A
MET WITH
DR BIKE FIDUCIA OF THE ASIA
THEY INCLUDED THE GERMAN CONSUL-GENERAL IN HONG KONG, BRACKLO; FORMER CONSUL-GENERAL MR H.J. DIETRICH; THE OWNER OF LTD. (A COMPANY IN HONG KONG), MR JURGEN KRACHT; THE DIRECTOR HAMBURG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND MEMBER OF THE EASTERN ASSOCIATION, MR MICHAEL PFEIFFER AND THE HEAD OF THE FAR EASTERN DEPARTMENT OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DR SCHEEL.
THE GOVERNOR CALLED NEXT ON THE STATE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, DR DIETER VON WURZEN.
IN THE MEETINTG IT WAS AGREED THAT WEST GERMANY'S TRADE POLICY MADE HONG KONG A NATURAL PARTNER.
LIBERAL
HAS
TWO-WAY TRADE IS GROWING STEADILY AND THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OVERTAKEN BRITAIN AS HONG KONG'S FIFTH LARGEST TRADING PARTNER, AND
LARGEST IS NOW THE TERRITORY'S THIRD
MARKET AFTER THE U.S.A. AND CHINA, WEST GERMANY TOOK EIGHT PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S TOTAL DOMESTIC EXPORTS IN 1987. ITS EXPORTS TO HONG KONG TOTALLED 2.2 MILLION DEUTCHMARKS IN THE SAME YEAR, AN INCREASE OF EIGHT PER CENT OVER 1986.
/WEST GERMAN