XN000022-1983-03-18 — Page 7

FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 1983

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+THESE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS WILL USUALLY FORM A COMMITTEE TO STUDY THE BILL AND INVITE OFFICIALS CONCERNED TO DISCUSSIONS ON IT,+ HE SAID.

TURNING TO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND HONG KONG, MR BRAY SAID AMERICANS HAD BEEN IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD AS LONG AS THE BRITISH AND TODAY MUST RANK WITH THE BRITISH IN PROMOTING THE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY OF HONG KONG.

+CONSTITUTIONALLY IT IS BRITAIN WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR

ECONOMICALLY IT IS AMERICA WHICH IS THE MORE

ADMINISTRATION HERE.

SIGNIFICANT.+

MR BRAY SAID IN 1982 AMERICA TOOK $31 BILLION WORTH OF EXPORTS FROM HONG KONG OUT OF A TOTAL OF $83 BILLION – NEARLY 40 PER CENT.

+ND OTHER COUNTRY COMES ANYWHERE NEAR THIS. EVEN IF ALL THE EEC COUNTRIES ARE ADDED UP THEY TOOK ONLY $20 BILLION, WITH UK AND GERMANY TAKING $7 BILLION EACH.+

ON IMPORTS, MR BRAY SAID WE BOUGHT OVER $15 BILLION WORTH OF GOODS FROM AMERICA LAST YEAR, MAKING IT THIRD AMONG SUPPLIERS.

MR BRAY ALSO NOTED THAT NEARLY HALF THE FOREIGN INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT IN HONG KONG WAS AMERICAN, FOLLOWED BY JAPAN WITH 30 PER CENT AND THE UK WITH SIX PER CENT.

+HONG KONG HAS MUCH TO OFFER AS A MARKET IN ITSELF, AS AN ENTREPOT AND AS A BASE FOR INDUSTRIAL JOINT VENTURES. IT SHOULD BE REGARDED AS A POTENTIAL PARTNER IN THE SPREAD OF AMERICAN BUSINESS INTERESTS IN ASIA, HE SAID.

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GUANGDONG NUCLEAR POWER STATION PROJECT

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REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED KINGDOM DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY AND THE PRC MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES AND ELECTRIC POWER MET IN HONG KONG THIS WEEK FOR DISCUSSIONS ON THE PROPOSED NUCLEAR POWER STATION IN GUANGDONG PROVINCE.

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATED IN CERTAIN OF THE DISCUSSIONS. THESE MEETINGS FOLLOWED PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM IN GUANGZHOU, LONDON AND BEIJING,

THE DISCUSSIONS TOOK PLACE IN A FRIENDLY AND CO-OPERATIVE ATMOSPHERE, AND COVERED A NUMBER OF ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT INCLUDING FINANCE AND THE PROVISION OF ELECTRICITY FROM THE POWER STATION TO HONG KONG.

/IT WAS