XN000022-1982-12-22 — Page 21

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1982

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TDC TRADE PROMOTION BEING STEPPED UP

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NO EFFORT WILL BE SPARED TO ENSURE THAT HONG KONG PRODUCTS RECEIVE THE MAXIMUM EXPOSURE OVERSEAS AND THAT HONG KONG'S REPUTATION AS A MAJOR MANUFACTURING AND TRADING CENTRE IS MAINTAINED.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE HON W.C.L. BROWN WHEN HE TABLED THE TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL'S 1981-82 ANNUAL REPORT AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEETING TODAY.

FOR THE YEAR UNDER REVIEW, GREAT EFFORTS WERE MADE BY THE TDC TO EXPAND PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES OF HONG KONG'S PRODUCTS AND IMAGE ABROAD, HE SAID.

HONG KONG'S TOTAL TRADE REACHED A RECORD OF $265.5 BILLION, GROWING BY 24 PER CENT, LAST YEAR, EVEN THOUGH TOTAL WORLD MERCHANDISE TRADE DROPPED BY ONE PER CENT, MR BROWN POINTED OUT.

THOUGH PRODUCT PROMOTION THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN MAJOR TRADE FAIRS. WAS A MAJOR PART OF THE TDC'S OBJECTIVE, THE COUNCIL WAS ALSO MINDFUL OF THE NEED TO CEMENT BETTER ECONOMIC RELATIONS WITH THE GOVERNMENTS OF MAJOR COUNTRIES, MR BROWN SAID.

DURING THE YEAR, HIGH LEVEL ECONOMIC MISSIONS, SEMINARS OR OTHER OFFICIAL VISITS WERE LED BY TDC CHAIRMAN ŠIR YUET-KEUNG KAN TO SUCH COUNTRIES AS FRANCE, THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, EGYPT, GREECE, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, AUSTRIA, MEXICO AND CHINA.

+SUCH ACTIVITIES ARE LIKELY TO BE STEPPED UP IN FUTURE YEARS AS A RESULT OF SUCCESSFUL AND FRUITFUL DIALOGUES WITH SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND COMMERCIAL LEADERS,+ MR BROWN SAID.

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