XN000022-1981-11-04 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1981

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GREATER HK-JAPAN MUTUAL TRADE EFFORT URGED

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THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, MR BILL DORWARD TODAY (WEDNESDAY) CALLED FOR GREATER MUTUAL EFFORT BETWEEN HONG KONG AND JAPAN TO DEVELOP BILATERAL TRADE.

ADDRESSING THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE SECOND HONG KONG/ KAGOSHIMA CONFERENCE, MR DORWARD TOLD THE JAPANESE DELEGATES THAT HONG KONG LOOKED TO KAGOSHIMA - A LONG ESTABLISHED GATEWAY THROUGH WHICH JAPAN DEVELOPED ITS EARLY CONTACTS WITH THE WEST FOR SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE IN THE EFFORTS IT WAS MAKING TO DEVELOP EXPORTS TO JAPAN.

+LAST YEAR NEARLY A QUARTER OF OUR IMPORTS CAME FROM YOUR COUNTRY. THEY WERE WORTH OVER HK$25 THOUSAND MILLION AND MADE HONG KONG JAPAN'S FOURTH LARGEST EXPORT MARKET THE UNITED KINGDOM, AUSTRALIA OR CANADA.

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LARGER THAN

+WE IN HONG KONG DO NOT THINK IN TERMS OF BALANCED BILATERAL TRADE, BUT THE DEGREE OF THE IMBALANCE WITH JAPAN - CURRENTLY OF THE ORDER OF 11 TO 1 - IS A SOURCE OF SOME CONCERN AND DISAPPOINTMENT,+ SAID MR DORWARD.

+WE KNOW THAT MANY OF THE FAULTS ARE OURS, WE MUST LEARN TO CATER TO THE SPECIAL TASTES AND STANDARDS OF THE JAPANESE MARKET AND MAKE MORE EFFORT TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY. BUT WE ALSO THINK THAT MORE COULD BE DONE IN JAPAN TO STIMULATE A MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL IMPORT TRADE. I HOPE THAT THIS ASPECT WILL BE TOUCHED UPON DURING THE CONFERENCE TODAY.+

+THERE ARE, OF COURSE, MANY OTHER TOPICS OF CONSIDERABLE MUTUAL INTEREST - TOURISM, CULTURAL AND ACADEMIC EXCHANGES, INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT AND, ABOVE ALL, THE IMPROVEMENT OF COMMUNICATION, MR DORWARD ADDED.

THE CONFERENCE, JOINTLY ORGANISED BY THE KAGOSHIMA PREFECTUAL AUTHORITIES AND THE HONG KONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, WAS ATTENDED BY SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS BUSINESSMEN AND 35 DELEGATES FROM JAPAN LED BY GOVERNOR KAMADA.

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