49

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1988

DAVID NOTED

THAT

THERE WERE

NOW

270 FRENCH HOWEVER, SIR BUSINESSES IN HONG KONG, WHICH WAS ALMOST DOUBLE THE NUMBER IN 1984.

WERE THESE INCLUDED 12 BANKS, FIVE INSURANCE COMPANIES AND 12

PROJECTS A NUMBER OF OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS. PIPELINE.

OTHER IN THE

"THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL FRENCH PRESENCE IN HONG KONG.

NATIONALS AND A A COMMUNITY OF SOME 1,400 FRENCH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL,

THRIVING

WE HAVE FRENCH

" THE GOVERNOR SAID.

FRENCH HONG 400 OF OVER

HE WAS PLEASED TO NOTE THAT THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED

HAD A MEMBERSHIP ASSOCIATION ALREADY KONG BUSINESS COMPANIES.

BEEN INVOLVED

SIR DAVID POINTED OUT THAT FRENCH COMPANIES HAD IN MAJOR PROJECTS IN HONG KONG SINCE THE EARLIEST POST-WAR YEARS.

TRADE 50 PER CENT

IN INCREASE REMARKABLE HAVE

A SEEN YEARS "RECENT

FURTHER BETWEEN US: BY ABOUT 30 PER CENT IN 1986 AND A LAST YEAR, HE SAID.

"IN 1987 FRENCH EXPORTS TO HONG KONG INCREASED BY 48 PER THESE ARE REMARKABLE FIGURES BY ANY STANDARDS.

CENT.

"THAT, I HOPE, IS JUST THE BEGINNING. THERE ALL WHY THIS TREND SHOULD NOT CONTINUE.

IS

REASON NO

AT

11

HONG

BELIEVED KONG

IN,

FREE

AND PRACTISED SIR DAVID SAID TRADE AND HOPED THAT EUROPE WOULD TAKE A SIMILAR VIEW.

TO TAKE A TRADE, NOT

EUROPE GREATER "AS 1992 APPROACHES, WE LOOK TO A LEAD IN MAINTAINING AND ADVANCING THE PRINCIPLES OF FREE ONLY BETWEEN ITS MEMBERS BUT ALSO WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD.

"IT IS CLEAR TO US AS

YOUR BUSINESS SURE

DISTANT OBSERVERS THAT

1992. COMMUNITY IS HEAVILY PREOCCUPIED WITH PLANNING FOR THAT THIS WILL BEAR FRUIT. BUT I URGE YOU NOT TO LOSE SIGHT OPPORTUNITIES.

"

BUSINESSMEN

FRENCH THE SIR DAVID POINTED OUT TO RAILWAY CROSSINGS CARRY A MOST APPROPRIATE WARNING: PEUT EN CACHER UN AUTRE"

1

AM

OF OTHER

THAT THEIR "DANGER, UN TRAIN

ASIA-PACIFIC

"I HOPE YOU WILL NOT LET THE 1992 TRAIN HIDE THE EXPRESS. HONG KONG IS AT THE HUB OF THE FASTEST GROWING REGION OF THE

MOST LIBERAL THE ECONOMIC WORLD.

AND WE PROVIDE

ENVIRONMENT IN THAT REGION," HE SAID.

ECONOMIC

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