THURSDAY, JULY 23, 1992

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MR LAN ADDED THAT APART FROM CLOSE ECONOMIC TIES, HONG KONG HAD ALSO MAINTAINED WITH JAPAN VERY CLOSE SOCIAL, CULTURAL, AND OTHER TIES AT ALL LEVELS.

"IN MAY THIS YEAR A GROUP OF 15 JAPANESE PARLIAMENTARIAN LEAGUE MEMBERS, LED BY FINANCE MINISTER TSUTOMU HATA, PAID A HISTORIC VISIT TO HONG KONG.

**TRADE FAIRS, EXHIBITIONS OF JAPANESE ARTS AND CULTURE ARE HELD REGULARLY, AND EVEN THE GRAND SUMO TOURNAMENT WILL BE HELD IN HONG KONG IN FEBRUARY NEXT YEAR," HE SAID.

WHILE IN HIROSHIMA, MR LAN WILL ALSO BE MAKING COURTESY CALES ON GOVERNOR TAKESHITA AND CHAIRMAN OF THE HIROSHIMA PREFECTURE ASSEMBLY, MR TOSHIHIRO HIYAMA.

HE WILL ALSO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT FACTORIES ENGAGED IN HEAVY INDUSTRY, AS WELL AS MAJOR MEDIA ORGANISATIONS.

GRADING OF BEACH WATER QUALITY

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT 'TODAY (THURSDAY Į ANNOUNCED GRADES ON THE BACTERIOLOGICAL WATER QUALITY OF ALL BATHING BEACHES IN HONG KONG.

THE PURPOSE OF THE GRADING SYSTEM IS TO INFORM SWIMMERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT THE STATE OF BACTERIOLOGICAL POLLUTION AT VARIOUS BEACHES.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID THE GRADING WILL BE ANNOUNCED BIWEEKLY DURING THE BATHING SEASON ΤΟ COINCIDE WITH THE FREQUENCY AT WHICH BEACH WATERS ARE USUALLY SAMPLED.

THE GRADING IS BASED ON THE MOST RECENT E. COLI DATA OBTAINED BY THE DEPARTMENT IN ITS ROUTINE MONITORING PROGRAMME.

AS WITH LAST YEAR, THE GRADING ALSO INCLUDES AN ESTIMATE OF THE RISK OF SUFFERING SOME MINOR SKIN OR GASTROINTESTINAL COMPLAINTS AS A RESULT OF SWIMMING AT A BEACH THAT HAS SOME DEGREE OF POLLUTION.

THE ESTIMATE IS BASED ON A LARGE BODY OF STATISTICAL INFORMATION GATHERED IN HONG KONG IN RECENT BATHING SEASONS.

THE GRADING OF SOME BRACHES MAY VARY DURING SUMMER. THIS REPRESENTS A NATURAL FLUCTUATION IN THE BACTERIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF BATHING WATERS IN MOST CASES, AS RAIN AND TIDES BRING MORE OR LESS POLLUTION TO THE BEACHES.

HOWEVER, THE GRADES GIVE A GOOD GENERAL PICTURE OF THE WATER QUALITY AT BATHING BEACHES AT THE TIME OF REPORTING AND FORM THE BEST AVAILABLE FORECAST FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE.

/"BEACHES WITH

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