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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1991
"THEY ARE OBVIOUSLY MAKING THE BEST OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED BY THE SCHOOL,'
A GOOD RANGE OF HE ADDED.
FOR
ACCOMPANYING THE GOVERNOR AND LADY WILSON WERE THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MRS ELIZABETH WONG, AND THE COMMISSIONER REHABILITATION, MR TONY REYNALDS.
U.S., JAPAN, CHINA LOOK SET TO CONTINUE INVESTING IN HK
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THE THREE MAJOR COUNTRIES WITH INVESTMENT IN HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURING SECTOR THE UNITED STATES, JAPAN AND CHINA LOOK SET TO CONTINUE INVESTING, THE DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRY, MR T.H. BARMA, SAID THIS (THURSDAY) AFTERNOON.
SPEAKING AT A LUNCH MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF HONG KONG SOUTH, MR BARMA SAID THIS WOULD BE DONE BY INCREASING EITHER THE TOTAL VALUE OF THEIR INVESTMENT, OR THE NUMBER OF COMPANIES WITH A PRESENCE IN HONG KONG, OR BOTH.
HE SAID THE UNITED STATES AND JAPAN WERE AT PRESENT THE TWO LARGEST FOREIGN INVESTORS IN HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURING SECTOR.
"IT IS NOTICEABLE THAT MOST JAPANESE INVESTORS TELL US THEY SEE CHINA AS A LUCRATIVE LONG-TERM MARKET, AND ARE IN HONG KONG NOW BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT AFTER 1997 IT WILL BE THE MOST MODERN CITY IN CHINA.
KONG
"COMPARED WITH OTHER CITIES IN THE REGION, THEY PRAISE HONG FOR OUR EXCELLENT FINANCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR GOOD COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, OUR STRATEGIC LOCATION, OUR LOW TAX RATE AND OUR HARDWORKING YET FLEXIBLE LABOUR FORCE.
"MANY POTENTIAL JAPANESE INVESTORS DO NOT SEE THESE ADVANTAGES DISAPPEARING AFTER 1997," HE SAID.
MR BARMA SAID AMERICAN COMPANIES HAD TENDED TO BE MORE CAUTIOUS, ESPECIALLY IN THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF THE EVENTS OF JUNE 1989.
HE SAID THEY WERE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE CHANGES, IF ANY, THAT 1997 MIGHT BRING TO HONG KONG,
"BUT THERE ARE SIGNS THAT RECENTLY THEY TOO ARE TAKING A MORE LONG-TERM VIEW, LIKE THEIR JAPANESE COUNTERPARTS, AND ARE ALSO WELL AWARE OF THE SHORT то MEDIUM TERM ADVANTAGES OF SETTING UP MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS AND REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS IN HONG KONG,' HE
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SAID.
/MR BARMA