FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1993
HK AND CHICAGO: GATEWAYS TO ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES
TIME)
HONG KONG
THAT THE A PROVIDES
HONG KONG COMMISSIONER TO THE UNITED STATES, MR BARRIE WIGGHAM,
(CHICAGO THURSDAY CONFIRMED ON
GOVERNMENT WOULD
CONTINUE
ENSURE ΤΟ
BUSINESS STABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR HONG KONG-BASED U.S. COMPANIES AT THE SAME TIME AS PROCEEDS WITH POLITICAL REFORM.
HIS
THAT
IT
COUNCIL ON FOREIGN
HONG
THE KONG BY INTRODUCE THE
IN REMARKS
A SPEECH TO THE CHICAGO RELATIONS
ANNOUNCEMENT EARLIER IN THE FOLLOWED GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, THAT HE WILL FIRST STAGE OF AN ELECTORAL REFORM PACKAGE TO THE LEGISLATURE.
COUNCIL ON ISSUES
LEGISLATION WILL BE INTRODUCED TO THE LEGISLATIVE DECEMBER 15 INVOLVING THE MORE STRAIGHT-FORWARD AND IMMEDIATE REGARDING THE 1994/95 ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS.
THESE INCLUDE:
LOWERING THE VOTING AGE TO 18,
AND
ABOLITION OF AND SEATS FOR DISTRICT BOARDS
MUNICIPAL COUNCILS, APPOINTED ESTABLISHMENT OF SINGLE-SEAT, SINGLE-VOTE CONSTITUENCIES FOR THE LOCAL BODIES AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
THE
CROSSROADS
IN
VITALLY
MR WIGGHAM POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG AND CHICAGO HAD MUCH
OF BOTH SERVED AS
THEIR COMMON AS THEY IMPORTANT ECONOMIC REGIONS.
MR
"CHICAGO HAS LONG BEEN THE GATEWAY TO AMERICA'S HEARTLAND,
THE THIRD WIGGHAM SAID DURING HIS FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT TO CHICAGO, LARGEST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE BUSINESS CENTRE OF AMERICA'S VAST MID-WESTERN REGION.
"THE
OF DEVELOPMENT
YOUR
NATION'S
FRONTIERS
DEPENDED
INDUSTRIES,
ON AND ON
I.
CHICAGO'S TRANSPORTATION NETWORK, ON CHICAGO'S CHICAGO'S FINANCIAL CENTRES AND STOCK EXCHANGES," HE SAID.
"IN MUCH THE SAME WAY HONG KONG HAS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN
MR WIGGHAM ADDED. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PACIFIC FRONTIERS,
++
IT IS
IT AND
"HONG KONG IS THE BUSIEST CONTAINER PORT IN THE WORLD. HOME TO MORE FOREIGN BANKS THAN ANY OTHER ASIAN CITY EXCEPT TOKYO.
MOST
SYNDICATION, TRADE IMPORTANT CENTRE FOR IS ASIA'S PROJECT FINANCING, AND VENTURE CAPITAL.
LOAN
"AND
A RESULT OVER 200 U.S. AS
ESTABLISHED FIRMS HAVE
HE SAID. ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS IN HONG KONG,
THEIR
11
OTHER, HONG KONG
MR WIGGHAM SAID IN ADDITION TO SHARED VALUES, THERE ARE MORE PRACTICAL, REASONS FOR A STRONG RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AND CHICAGO AND THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.
"WE
DO A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FREE TRADE OF OUR OUR TWO REGIONS," HE SAID.
LAST YEAR $292 MILLION OF ILLINOIS EXPORTS WERE HONG KONG.
ANOTHER
MILLION OF $218
THEIR PRODUCTS WERE MAINLAND CHINA, MUCH OF IT PASSING THROUGH HONG KONG.
OWN BETWEEN
PURCHASED IN
EXPORTED
TO
/AS A