1

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1991

GOVERNOR'S TRIP HELPS RAISE IMAGE OF HK

* *

THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, BELIEVES HE HAS BEEN ABLE ΤΟ RAISE THE IMAGE OF HONG KONG AS THE BEST LONG-TERM PLACE IN WHICH TO SET UP OPERATIONS FOP EXPANDING TRADE AND INVESTMENT IN EAST ASIA.

-

SPEAKING AT THE END OF A THREE-DAY OFFICIAL VISIT ΤΟ NEW ZEALAND THE FIRST BY A HONG KONG GOVERNOR SIR DAVID SAID HE HAD COME TO "OPEN A DOOR" TO ENCOURAGE NEW ZEALAND TO LOOK FAVOURABLY AND ENTHUSIASTICALLY AT THE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE IN THE REGION.

HE SAID THE VISIT HAD COME AT A TIME WHEN THE NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT WAS LOOKING AT HOW IT COULD RE-DIRECT ITS EFFORTS INTO PROMOTING AN EXPANSION OF TRADE AND ECONOMIC INVOLVEMENT IN WHAT IT CALLS "NORTH ASIA”.

"I THINK THE TIMING OF THE VISIT HAS BEEN JUST RICHT AND I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PUT ACROSS THE IDEA THAT HONG KONG IS A KEY PLAYER IN THE REGION AND A VERY GOOD BASE FOR OPERATIONS.

"BUSINESS HAS ALSO SHOWN CONSIDERABLE INTEREST, BUT THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY AS TO HOW TO GET INVOLVED. MY ADVICE HAS BEEN THAT

IT IS IF YOU WANT TO TRADE INTO CHINA, THEN THE BEST WAY

ΤΟ FIND A HONG KONG PARTNER WHO REALLY KNOWS THE SCENE.

то DO

"THIS WILL BE FAR MORE EFFECTIVE THAN TRYING TO GO INTO CHINA DIRECT, HE ADDED.

**

A HIGHLIGHT OF TODAY'S PROGRAMME WAS AN ADDRESS BY THE GOVERNOR TO 170 BUSINESS PEOPLE AT A LUNCH ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG- NEW ZEALAND BUSINESS ASSOCIATION.

THAT

SIR DAVID DESCRIBED HONG KONG AS A PLACE OF FRENETIC ENERGY WORKED ENORMOUSLY HARD AND WAS AT THE CENTRE

THE

FASTEST-GROWING REGION IN THE WORLD.

OF

"YOU CAN HARDLY GO THERE WITHOUT FEELING THE ZING IN THE IT HAS A VIGOUR WHICH I THINK NO OTHER CITY IN THE WORLD HAS.

AIR,

"

HE SAID THE FACT THAT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF SIMILARITIES

SUCH BETWEEN HONG KONG AND NEW ZEALAND,

AS THE LEGAL SYSTEM, THE LANGUAGE OF BUSINESS AND THE PRESENCE OF A

ACTIVE NEW ZEALAND COMMUNITY IN HONG KONG, MEANT THAT IT

UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY AND A VERY GOOD PLACE OF OPPORTUNITY.

WAS

VERY NOT

THIS AFTERNOON SIR DAVID HAD ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS WITH SOME

THE MEETING WAS CHAIRED BY MR OF NEW ZEALAND'S TOP BUSINESSMEN.

HUGH COMPANY, FLETCHER FLETCHER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE COUNTRY'S BIGGEST CHALLENGE.

IN HONG KONG, THE COMPANY, WHICH HAS AN ESTABLISHED PRESENCE

THE NEARLY IS THE PRINCIPAL CONTRACTOR FOR

PAMELA COMPLETED

YOUDE

CHAI HOSPITAL IN

WAN. THE 1,700-BED PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED EARLY NEXT YEAR WITHIN TIME AND WITHIN BUDGET.

/IN AN

Share This Page