XN000022-1979-10-31 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1979

+HOWEVER, IN ITS PLACE, RESPONSIBLE MEMBERS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY OUGHT SERIOUSLY TO MAKE AN EFFORT TO BUY BRITISH. IT IS OBVIOUSLY VITAL TO THE MILLIONS OF OUR PEOPLE FOR WHOM HONG KONG IS THE IR ONLY HOME THAT THE UK-HONG KONG RELATIONSHIP SHOULD CONTINUOUSLY BE BUILT UP AND STRENGTHENED.+

MR. LO SAID TAKING THIS RELATIONSHIP FOR GRANTED HAS LED US INTO ANOTHER EQUALLY SERIOUS MISTAKE.

+WE TEND TO FORGET THE EXTENT OF OUR BENEFIT AND USEFULNESS TO BRITAIN AND WE FAIL TO ASSESS IT, WE DO NOT TALK ABOUT IT WITH THE RESULT THAT TO A LARGE EXTENT THE BRITISH PUBLIC IS TOTALLY UNAWARE OF IT. ALL THAT WE DO PUBLICISE IS THE VISIBLE TRADE FIGURES WHICH SHOW A BALANCE IN HONG KONG'S FAVOUR. THEY ARE CLEARLY MISLEADING AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE TRUE POSITION.

+AMONGST OTHER THINGS THAT THESE VISIBLE TRADE FIGURES DO NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ARE THE ASTRONOMICAL VALUE OF UK'S MONOPOLY IN PROVIDING AIR SERVICE BETWEEN HONG KONG AND BRITAIN THE SUMS REMITTED FROM HONG KONG TO THE UK ARISING FROM SALARIES, PENSIONS, SHARE DIVIDENDS. CONSULTANCY FEES AND OTHER INVESTMENT BENEFITS- THE VALUE OF HONG KONG AS THE OUTPOST OF BRITISH FIRMS THROUGH WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BUILD UP CONSIDERABLE TRADE RELATIONS IN ASIA AND THE VALUE OF HONG KONG IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS.+

+THE TIME HAS COME, HE SAID, +FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO ASSESS THE ECONOMIC AS WELL AS THE COMMERCIAL VALUE OF HONG KONG TO BRITAIN AND WITH THE HELP OF OUR HONG KONG OFFICE IN LONDON TO PUBLICISE IT. IF IN THE ASSESSMENT WE ARE FOUND WANTING THEN WE SHOULD TAKE STEPS TO REMEDY THE POSITION.+

GOVERNMENT TO HOLD MEETINGS WITH NURSES

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A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY) SEVERAL NURSING STAFF ASSOCIATIONS HAVE REQUESTED MEETINGS WITH THE SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE, MR. MARTIN ROWLANDS.

TWO MEETINGS HAVE NOW BEEN ARRANGED. THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENT NURSING STAFF WILL MEET MR. ROWLANDS TOMORROW (THURSDAY) AT 9.30 A.M.

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NURSING UNITS OF THE HONG KONG CHINESE CIVIL SERVANTS ASSOCIATION AND THE UNION OF MIDWIVES WILL MEET THE SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE ON FRIDAY (NOVEMBER 2) AT 11 A.M.

THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT OFFICIALS FROM THE CIVIL SERVICE BRANCH WOULD LISTEN TO STAFF VIEWS AND EXPLAIN TO THEM THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE STANDING COMMISSION ON CIVIL SERVICE SALARIES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE AND ITS ROLE IN THE FUTURE.

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