XN000022-1982-03-05 — Page 4

t

3 -

FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 1982

INDUSTRIAL PROMOTION OFFICE OPENED IN TOKYO

*****

THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WAS EMBARKING ON A MORE CONSISTENT AND SYSTEMATIC BASIS TO ATTRACT SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED JAPANESE COMPANIES TO ESTABLISH OR ENGAGE IN JOINT VENTURES IN HONG KONG THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, MR BILL DORWARD, SAID IN TOKYO TODAY (FRIDAY).

OPENING HONG KONG'S FIRST INDUSTRIAL PROMOTION OFFICE, MR DORWARD SAID:

*WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS WE SHALL OPEN MORE, IN EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES. BUT THE FACT THAT THE FIRST ONE IS IN TOKYO EMPHASISES THE IMPORTANCE WE PLACE ON INDUSTRIAL CO-OPERATION WITH OUR FRIENDS IN JAPAN,

AS THE SAME ELEMENTS WERE GENERALLY PRESENT WHEREVER JAPANESE TECHNOLOGY WAS INVITED TO PARTICIPATE, HONG KONG PROBABLY HAD NOTHING UNIQUE TO OFFER THAT OTHER COUNTRIES COMPETING FOR SUCH INVESTMENT DID NOT. BUT, MR DORWARD SAID, WHAT MATTERED WAS THE MIXTURE OF THOSE ELEMENTS.

+ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY NEEDS A RECEPTIVE ATMOSPHERE, SUPPORT FACILITIES, A HEALTHY COMMERCIAL CLIMATE AND A GOOD AND RELIABLE LABOUR FORCE IF IT IS TO SUCCEED, ! BELIEVE THIS IS WHAT HONG KONG NOW OFFERS JAPAN, THE CURRENT MODERNISATION POLICY OF OUR GREAT NEIGHBOUR, CHINA, HAS ADDED A NEW AND DYNAMIC ELEMENT TO THE WHOLE PICTURE, + HE STRESSED.

MR DORWARD, WHO WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE SENIOR UNOFFICIAL EXECUTIVE COUNCILLOR, SIR SZE-YUEN CHUNG, SAID THERE WERE ALREADY MORE THAN 100 MANUFACTURING COMPANIES IN HONG KONG WITH SOME DEGREE OF JAPANESE PARTICIPATION. MR DORWARD THEN INTRODUCED MR MICHAEL KIKUCHI WHO HAD BEEN APPOINTED TO HEAD THE TOKYO OFFICE.

MR KIKUCHI HAD SERVED AS DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE JAPAN TRADE CENTRE IN HONG KONG FROM 1974 TO 1977, HE SAID.

MR JOHN WHITEHEAD, MINISTER AT THE BRITISH EMBASSY, TOKYO DESCRIBED THE DECISION TO OPEN THE TOKYO OFFICE AS FAR SIGHTED.

THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION BUREAU, MINISTRY OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND INDUSTRY (MITI), MR T. NAKAZAWA, ADDED CONGRATULATIONS ON BEHALF OF THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT, AND THE OPENING OF THE OFFICE WAS SYMBOLICALLY CELEBRATED BY THE CRACKING OF A BARREL OF SAKE.

/4