7
wider range of service and lower fares when airline operators,
their commercial judgement, are prepared to offer them.
on
"Choosing the theme of a speech on this occasion is not
easy for the Secretary of State for Trade. My responsibilites include
shipping, where Hong Kong has rightly achieved a reputation for securing
the benefits of free enterprise and entrepreneurial flair. The
United Kingdom and Hong Kong have very much the same outlook in
seeking to ensure that the market for international shipping remains
as far as possible a commercial one.
The year has also seen a most interesting development
as the long-standing United Kingdom investment in Hong Kong shipping
has been mirrored by investment in the other direction with the recent
successful acquisition of Furness Withy by the C.Y. Tung group.
I
am sure that we all wish Furness withy well in its new incarnation.
"I could have devoted the entire speech to trade and
indeed it was my original intention to do so.
When I was in Hong
some would say forthrightly
Kong in January I spoke
on the need
for Hong Kong to buy more from Britain and thereby to reduce the
imbalance of trade between us. There are exciting major projects
in Hong Kong (when have there not been?) and I hope that British
companies will be bidding competitively, the potentialities for
Hong Kong in the growth of trade with China merits a whole evening's
dissertation on its own, but I know that my department and the Hong
Kong trade advisory group are actively carrying the message to
British industry.
"The relationship between Britain end Hong Kong is
one to which the British government attach the greatest importance.
That is
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.