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HK NEEDS TO BUILD FOUNDATIONS FOR FOREIGN RELATIONSHIPS
THERE
THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, SAID TODAY {THURSDAY} WAS A NEED FOR HONG KONG TO BUILD THE FOUNDATIONS FOR RELATIONSHIPS WITH JAPAN AND OTHER COUNTRIES THAT WOULD LAST BEYOND 1997.
SPEAKING TO MEMBERS OF THE KEIDANREN, JAPAN'S MOST INFLUENTIAL BUSINESS ORGANISATION, SIR DAVID SAID THE ARRANGEMENTS WERE IN PLACE FOR HONG KONG TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AFTER IT'S OWN TRADE, FINANCES, CURRENCY AND LEGAL SYSTEM,
"ALL OF THOSE ARE ARRANGED UNDER THE TREATY ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG BEWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA SO THE FRAMEWORK IS THERE.
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"NOW, I BELIEVE WE NERD TO BUILD ON THAT SO WE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR MAJOR TRADING PARTNERS AND OUR MOST IMPORTANT NEIGHBOURS WHICH WILL CONTINUE SMOOTHLY BEYOND 1997.
THE GOVERNOR GAVE AS AN INDICATION THE IMPRESSIVE TRADE STATISTICS WHICH SHOWED THE IMPORTANCE OF HONG KONG IN TRADE BETWEEN JAPAN AND CHINA.
HE SAID A QUARTER OF ALL JAPAN'S TRADE WITH CHINA PASSED THROUGH HONG KONG, AND MORE RECENTLY AS MUCH AS ONE THIRD OF ALL JAPAN'S EXPORTS TO CHINA WENT THROUGH THE TERRITORY.
KONG
"IF WE BUILD UP THIS RELATIONSHIP THEN AFTER 1997, HONG WILL CONTINUE TO BE VALUABLE TO CHINA, AND VALUABLE TO JAPAN IN ITS TRADE WITH CHINA WE WILL BE THE BRIDGE BETWEEN THE TWO."
SIR DAVID
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SAID HONG KONG WOULD WELCOME ADVICE FROM THE JAPANESE ON HOW THIS RELATIONSHIP COULD BE FURTHER DEVELOPED.
EARLIER IN THE DAY, THE GOVERNOR, WHO IS HEADING THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC AND TRADE MISSION TO JAPAN, HELD TALKS WITH A GROUP OF MEMBERS OF JAPAN'S RULING LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY (LDP), LED BY MR TSUTOMU HATA.
SIR DAVID WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE SENIOR MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, BARONESS DUNN, THE SENIOR MEMBER OF
THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR ALLEN LEE, AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE MISSION.
· DURING THE MEETING, MR HATA SPOKE ABOUT THE FORMATION OF A GROUP OF MEMBERS OF THE JAPANESE DIET WITH A PARTICULAR INTEREST IN HONG KONG AFFAIRS.
HE SAID HE HAD GATHERED TOGETHER A GROUP OF YOUNG AND ENTHUSIASTIC MEMBERS OF THE LDP WHO HAVE AN INTEREST IN HONG KONG AND HOPED TO HAVE THE PARTICIPATION OF MEMBERS OF THE OPPOSITION.
SPEAKING AT THE END OF ANOTHER HECTIC ROUND OF ENGAGEMENTS, THE GOVERNOR SAID HE WAS ENCOURAGED BY THE ENTHUSIASM THE GROUP HAD SHOWN IN ESTABLISHING LINKS WITH MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
"I THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY GOOD MEETING, MR HATA HAD A LARGE NUMBER OF YOUNGER, UP AND COMING MEMBERS OF THE DIET PRESENT.
/"HE'S GETTING