THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1988
47
A FILM ON HONG KONG WAS SHOWN TO THE AUDIENCE AND THERE WAS A LIVELY DEBATE DURING WHICH MANY QUESTIONS WERE PUT ΤΟ THE VARIOUS SPEAKERS.
ALSO PRESENT AT THE MEETING WERE THE PRESIDENT OF CNPF, MR FRANCOIS PERIGOT; THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ORGANISATION FOR THE CO-OPERATION AND INVESTMENT IN INDUSTRY, TRADE AND SERVICES BETWEEN FRANCE AND THE ASIA PACIFIC COUNTRIES, THE CO-ORGANISER OF THE SEMINAR, MR PIERRE AIGRAIN; AND MR FRANCOIS MISSOTTE OF SOFINASIA, WHICH ORGANISES FINANCE FOR FRENCH INVESTMENTS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA.
IN
FRENCH COMPANIES ARE WELL ESTABLISHED IN SERVICES AND CONSTRUCTION IN HONG KONG AND FRANCE BENEFITS FROM AIR FRANCE'S SERVICES TO HONG KONG.
THE FRENCH TRADE COMMISSIONER IN HONG KONG LISTED 270 FRENCH BUSINESSES IN ITS LATEST DIRECTORY AND COMMENTS THAT 18 WERE PRESENT IN 1960 AND THAT MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS WERE ESTABLISHED HONG KONG ALSO HAS AN ACTIVE FRENCH BUSINESS ASSOCIATION.
AFTER 1980.
THE GOVERNOR TODAY ALSO CALLED ON THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF
FRANCE, MR VALERY GISCARD D'ESTAING, WHO THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMISSION OF THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE MINISTRY SAGLIO.
FOR
IS CURRENTLY PRESIDENT OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND THE INDUSTRY, MR JEAN-FRANCOIS
SIR DAVID NOTED THAT BILATERAL TRADE WITH HONG KONG HAD BEEN GROWING STRONGLY.
HONG KONG EXPORTS TO FRANCE GREW BY 45 PER CENT IN 1986 AND 44 PER CENT IN 1987 WHILE IMPORTS FROM FRANCE GREW BY 20 PER CENT AND 30 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN HONG KONG DOLLAR TERMS.
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EVEN WITH RE-EXPORTS TO FRANCE GROWING BY 44 PER CENT PER CENT IN THE SAME YEARS, THE BALANCE OF TRADE REMAINED IN FRANCE'S FAVOUR.
THE GOVERNOR POINTED OUT THAT IN SPITE OF WAS STILL MUCH ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
THIS
GROWTH, THERE
FRENCH EXPORTS TO HONG KONG STILL AMOUNTED то ONLY HALF OF BRITAIN'S OR GERMANY'S AND HONG KONG DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO FRANCE WERE ONLY ONE THIRD OF OUR EXPORTS TO BRITAIN AND ONE QUARTER OF OUR EXPORTS TO GERMANY.
REFLECTING FRANCE'S
INTEREST IN CHINA, THE GOVERNOR ALSO EXPLAINED THE BENEFITS TO BE GAINED BY TAKING, ADVANTAGE OF HONG KONG AND CHINA ECONOMIC RELATIONS.
SIR DAVID ALSO MET THE LEADERS OF THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATIONS OF FOUR OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES WHO TRAVELLED TO PARIS SPECIALLY FOR THE OCCASION.
/THEY WERE