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Japanese Finance Minister lends support to HK promotion
The Hong Kong Government's plan to mount a major promotion in Japan in late September continues to receive strong support in Japan and its Finance Minister, the Hon Masayoshi Takemura, has recently pledged his keen interest in the promotion and its business activities in particular.
Mr Takemura welcomed Hong Kong's initiative to foster closer business tie with Japan when the Hong Kong Government's Principal Representative, Mr David Lan, called on him last Friday (April 21) to brief him about the Hong Kong Promotion in Japan including the business seminars and workshops in the target cities of Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka.
Noting that one of the themes of the workshops would be on Hong Kong's strategic importance as a financial centre, Mr Takemura said this subject would attract a lot of attention among the financial and banking sectors in Japan.
Organised in conjunction with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and Hong Kong Tourist Association and with private sector participation, the Hong Kong Promotion will also hold cultural events and social functions in each of the three cities in the week beginning September 25 to highlight and enhance the Hong Kong-Japan partnership.
Mr Takemura understood that Japanese banks and securities houses had a strong presence in Hong Kong; one out of four foreign banks in Hong Kong were Japanese owned whereas 25 per cent of foreign stock brokers were headquartered in Japan and this would continue to serve the mutual interests of the two communities.
Last Friday's meeting was one of a series of courtesy calls by Mr David Lan on senior Government officials and business leaders in Japan to muster their support for the Hong Kong Promotion.
Among those who have given full support to the promotion are the Japanese Prime Minister, the Hon Tomiichi Murayama, and three former Japanese Prime Ministers, the Hon Yasuhiro Nakasone, the Hon Toshiki Kaifu and the Hon Tsutomu Hata,
End/Thursday, April 27, 1995
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