XN000022-1977-06-11 — Page 3

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SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 1977

D C AND I TEAM LEAVES FOR EUROPE TO WOO INDUSTRIAL ISTS

TO HONG KONG

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THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, MR. ROY PORTER, LEADS A TEAM FOR EUROPE ON MONDAY (JUNE 13) FOR TALKS WITH OVERSEAS INDUSTRIAL ISTS ABOUT THE ADVANTAGES OF SETTING UP FACTORIES IN HONG KONG.

THE MISSION WILL TAKE THE TEAM TO STUTTGART, DUSSELDORF, AND FRANKFURT IN GERMANY, STRASBOURG IN FRANCE, AND TO SEVERAL TOWNS IN U.K.

IT IS THE SECOND SUCH MISSION TO BE CARRIED OUT THIS YEAR BY THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT AND WILL LAST THREE WEEKS.

MR. PORTER'S LAST TRIP WAS TO THE UNITED STATES WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS HAVING BEEN ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL SO FAR.

IN THE EUROPE MISSION THE TEAM WILL HAVE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHIEF EXECUTIVES OF MORE THAN 40 FIRMS 30 IN GERMANY, 10 IN FRANCE AND FOUR IN BRITAIN,

APPOINTMENTS WITH THESE FIRMS WERE FINALISED BY AN ADVANCE PARTY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY OFFICIALS WHICH LEFT A FORTNIGHT AGO.

MR. PORTER SAID THAT HONG KONG IS NOT WELL-KNOWN ENOUGH IN GERMANY IN REGARD TO ITS MANUFACTURING CAPABILITY, HE HOPES TO RECTIFY THIS.

+FOR OUR PART WE WELCOME GERMAN MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY TO HONG KONG FOR ITS HIGH TECHNOLOGY AND EFFICIENCY.

+GERMAN INDUSTRIAL EXPORTS, ALTHOUGH SIGNIFICANT, CAN, IN OUR VIEW, BE FURTHER EXPANDED IN THIS REGION.

+AND, ONE WAY OF DOING THIS IS TO SET UP FACTORIES HERE,+ MR. PORTER SAID.

+HONG KONG, BECAUSE OF ITS EXCELLENT COMMERCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND WORKFORCE, IS AN IDEAL MANUFACTURING BASE,+ HE ADDED.

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