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"The trading opportunity for investors in Hong Kong and elsewhere in the region created through this linkage will reinforce Hong Kong's position as a leading financial centre in the region," he said.
The link-up with the Philadelphia Stock Exchange was a good demonstration of the energy, enthusiasm and resolve of the professionals in Hong Kong's financial market and of the workforce to ensure that the successes of the past would be sustained in the future, he added.
"It is also another example, another good example, of our continuing effort towards East-West integration in the financial market.
"The link-up will only bode well for the financial services sector and for Hong Kong," Mr Tsang said.
End
Volume and price movements of external trade in June
In the first six months of 1996, the volume of re-exports increased by 6.9% over the same period last year, while the volume of domestic exports decreased by 8.2%, according to the statistics released today (Friday) by the Census and Statistics Department.
Taking re-exports and domestic exports together, the volume of total exports increased by 4.3%. Meanwhile, imports increased by 3.7% in volume.
The growth in the volume of trade is derived from the growth in trade values with the effect of price changes being discounted.
As regards price changes over the same period of comparison, the prices of re- exports and domestic exports increased by 0.4% and 1.2% respectively. Import prices decreased by 0.2%.
Price changes are reflected by changes in unit value indices, which are compiled based on average unit values or, for certain commodities, based on specific price data.