XN000022-1975-02-05 — Page 17

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1975

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TDC INCREASE PROMOTION ACTIVITIES

IN MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA AND EASTERN EUROPE

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THE DIRECTOR OF COMMERGE AND INDUSTRY THE HON. DAVID JORDAN, SAID TODAY THAT THE TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL VILL INCREASE ITS TRADE PROMOTION ACTIVITIES THIS YEAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA AND EASTERN EUROPE,

HE WAS REPLYING TO THE HON. JAMES HU IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WHO ASKED WHAT MEASURES THE GOVERNMENT WAS TAKING TO SEEK NEW MARKETS AND, STIMULATE TRADE.

MR. JORDAN POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE SEARCH FOR NEW MARKETS NOR IN THE PROMOTION OF HONG KONG'S OVERSEAS TRADE, DUT THAT THE TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL WAS.

HOWEVER, AS A MEMBER OF THE TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL HE SAID HE KNEW THAT THE COUNCIL WAS KEENLY AWARE OF THE NEED TO SEEK NEW MARKETS FOR HONG KONG'S PRODUCTS,

THIS IS PARTICULARLY SO WHEN THE DEMAND IN OUR MAJOR MARKETS IN NORTH AMERICA AND WESTERN EUROPE HAS SLACKENED AND THE DAYS OF EASY EXPORT GROWTH ARE OVER, AT LEASE FOR THE TIME BEING, HE SAID,

HE EXPLAINED THẤT IT WAS WITH THIS IN MIND THAT THE COUNCIL HAD DECIDED TO STEP UP ITS ACTIVITIES IN THE COMING YEAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA AND EASTERN EUROPE,

→IN 1975/1976 JUST OVER 30 PER CENT OF THE COUNCIL'S OVERSEAS TRADE PROMOTION DUDGET OF 0,6 MILLION DOLLARS WILL BE SPENT IN THESE AREAS VITICU TOOK ONLY SEVEN AND A HALF PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S EXPORT IN 1974,+ MR. JORDAN SAID.

HE SAID THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD, OF COURSE, CONTINUE ITS ACTIVITIES IN HONG KONG'S ESTABLISHED MARKETS, OPERATING FROM 15 OFFICES IN NORTH AMERICA, WESTERN EUROPE, JAPAN AND AUSTRALIA, AND WOULD CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN MAJOR TRADE AFFAIRS IN THESE MARKETS AND ORGANISE DUSINESS MISSIONS TO THEM.

$77 ......