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Mr Leung Yiu-chung (in Chinese): Mr President, in his reply the Governor referred to the non-interventionist policy. He also referred to a number of ways to assist the industry. But I just doubt the effectiveness of the measures. So even though the Governor has referred to the Industrial Technology Centre, etc, etc, but my understanding is that the Government has suggested the idea of a Science Park, but I don't think it will do any particular good to us. It is only a centre for the re-export of technology from China to overseas countries or the other way round. It won't help a lot in the case of the local industries. So can you tell us about other measures as well as the actual benefits to be brought by the Science Park to the industries of Hong Kong?
Governor: I am glad the honourable member is reminding me of things I didn't mention, and the possibility of creating a Science Park is one of them. But I really don't believe that the creation of a Science Park would merely be, as it were, a sort of trampoline for technology from China to bounce out of Hong Kong into the wider world. A Science Park would be a way in which we could not only help local manufacturers but also, conceivably, a way in which we could bring together Chinese researchers and local manufacturers, or Chinese researchers, Hong Kong researchers and local manufacturers, in the common or wider good.
I don't think that the honourable member should argue as though Hong Kong could succeed as a closed economy. We are an open economy - perhaps the most open in the world. We are an economy where in the first nine months of this year our exports in manufactured goods went up by 14 per cent, our exports of services went up by 13 per cent. We are an open economy where there is substantial inward investment from other communities into our own manufacturing. We are an open economy where the private sector will have increased its investment so far this year by over 20 per cent in plant and machinery. So we are a successful open economy. And a successful open economy welcomes ideas and their resources and people and skills from elsewhere, adds value to them and gets richer in the process.
Mrs Elizabeth Wong: Mr President, thank you. I would like to ask Governor Patten an important question on factors which will affect Hong Kong's future economic
success.