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TUESDAY, JULY 24, 1990

ACTIVITIES

TO INCLUDE NOT "AND THE MANUFACTURING BASE HAS WIDENED

A WHOLE RANGE OF ASSOCIATED PRODUCTION BUT ALSO DESIGN THROUGH TO DELIVERY, HE SAID.

+

ONLY

FROM

OF

ON PRODUCT UPGRADING, MR CHAN SAID THAT WITH THE OPENING UP

LAST CHINA OVER THE

DECADE,

SHIFT AND THE

OF LABOUR-INTENSIVE KONG HAD PRODUCTION OVER THE BORDER TO GUANGDONG, OPERATIONS IN HONG BECOME MORE TECHNOLOGY AND SKILL INTENSIVE.

"AS A RESULT OF THIS INVESTMENT IN PLANT, EQUIPMENT AND PEOPLE, PRODUCTIVITY HAS SHOWN A MARKED IMPROVEMENT OVER THE LAST DECADE.

OR

H

"AT THE SAME TIME, THERE HAVE BEEN STRONG ADVANCES IN TERMS

IN HONG KONG, THE QUALITY AND DESIGN OF MANY OF THE GOODS PRODUCED HE SAID.

LOOKING BACK OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS, BEEN DRAMATIC INDUSTRIAL GROWTH SINCE 1960.

CHAN MR

SAID THERE HAD

LESS

EXPORTS IN 1960 WAS HE SAID THE VALUE OF MANUFACTURED THAN $3 BILLION. IN 1989 IT WAS $224 BILLION, ABOUT 80 TIMES HIGHER.

IN 1960, THERE WERE

ABOUT

NEARLY 10 TIMES AS MANY, HE SAID.

FACTORIES. 5,000

NOW

THERE WERE

IN 1960, THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR EMPLOYED ABOUT 400,000

DID NOT INCLUDE THE EMPLOYED BY HONG

WORKERS. TODAY, IT EMPLOYED 800,000 - AND THAT MANY WORKERS IN SOUTH CHINA AND ELSEWHERE WHO WERE KONG-FUNDED AND MANAGED ENTERPRISES, MR CHAN ADDED.

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AN

MANUFACTURING

"CLEARLY, HE SAID, "AS HONG KONG HAS DEVELOPED STRONGLY AS INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL AND TRADING CENTRE, THE ROLE OF IN THE ECONOMY AS A WHOLE HAS BECOME LESS DOMINANT.

"BUT MANUFACTURING REMAINS THE SINGLE LARGEST EMPLOYER, THE SERVICES MAIN SOURCE OF EXPORTS AND A MAJOR CLIENT FOR THE BURGEONING SECTOR.

"AND REGARDLESS OF THE SHIFT IN ITS RELATIVE POSITION WITHIN

MANUFACTURING HAS HONG KONG'S ECONOMY,

ACHIEVED REMARKABLE GROWTH

THE ECONOMY, OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS AND REMAINS A CENTRAL PILLAR OF

HE SAID.

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