XN000022-1983-04-24 — Page 6

SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 1983

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DECREASES WERE REGISTERED IN THE RE-EXPORTS OF TEXTILES (BY $344 MILLION OR 28%), NON-METALLIC MINERAL MANUFACTURES (BY $104 MILLION OR 25%) AND MACHINERY SPECIALISED FOR PARTICULAR INDUSTRIES (BY $53 MILLION OR 29%).

THE FEBRUARY 1983 ISSUE OF THE HONG KONG TRADE STATISTICS SUMMARY+ WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE AT HK$5 PER COPY.

WITH A MORE COMPREHENSIVE REPORT, +HONG KONG EXTERNAL TRADE+, A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF IMPORTS, EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS IN FEBRUARY, 1983 WILL BE AVAILABLE IN EARLY MAY AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE AT HK$10 PER COPY.

ENQUIRIES CONCERNING SUBSCRIPTIONS TO THESE REPORTS MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES AT BASKERVILLE HOUSE, HONG KONG (TEL. NO,1 5-214375).

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HONG KONG BECOMES MAJOR PUBLISHING CENTRE ******

OVER RECENT YEARS HONG KONG HAS DEVELOPED INTO AN INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING CENTRE,

LAST YEAR, 2.5 MILLION COPIES OF BOOKS COMPRISING 4 071 TITLES IN 22 LANGUAGES WERE PRINTED HERE, ACCORDING TO THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT'S BOOKS REGISTRATION OFFICE WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REGISTRATION OF NEW BOOKS PRODUCED IN HONG KONG.

THE NUMBER OF BOOKS PRINTED AND PUBLISHED IN HONG KONG HAS INCREASED FROM 692 TITLES IN 1970 TO MORE THAN 4 000 TITLES A YEAR TODAY.

WORLD,

THESE BOOKS ARE DISTRIBUTED LOCALLY AND TO MARKETS AROUND THE

+THE GROWTH RATE IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE BECAUSE OF HONG KONG'S ADVANCED PRINTING TECHNOLOGY, COMPETITIVE PRODUCTION COSTS, AND HIGHLY EFFICIENT DISTRIBUTION SERVICES, THE CHIEF LIBRARIAN IN CHARGE OF THE BOOKS REGISTRATION OFFICE, MR ALEX NG, SAID.

FOR THESE REASONS, MORE AND MORE INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHERS HAVE SET UP OFFICES IN HONG KONG, MR NG POINTED OUT.

BOOKS IN SWEDISH, DUTCH, GERMAN, MEXICAN, MALAY AND FRENCH ARE PRINTED HERE ANNUALLY IN LARGE QUANTITIES, WHILE THOSE IN JAPANESE, NORWEGIAN AND SPANISH ARE NOT UNCOMMON.

/+RECENTLY, WE ...................