XN000022-1983-06-15 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1983

ACCEPTABLE ARRANGEMENTS TO SECURE HK'S CONTINUING PROSPERITY AND STABILITY WOULD BE DEVISED

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MISS DUNN

SPEAKING AT A DRAGON BOAT DINNER IN LONDON HELD BY THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION THIS EVENING (JUNE 15), MISS LYDIA DUNN, EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLOR, SAID SHE WAS SURE THAT ACCEPTABLE ARRANGEMENTS TO SECURE HONG KONG'S CONTINUING PROSPERITY AND STABILITY WOULD BE DEVISED.

MISS DUNN EMPHASISED THAT THE DIFFICULTIES WHICH HAD BESET THE HONG KONG ECONOMY IN RECENT MONTHS WERE NOT CAUSING ANY PERMANENT DAMAGE AND RECOVERY LED BY TRADE, WAS ALREADY UNDERWAY AND SHOULD CONTINUE. IN THE LONGER TERM, HONG KONG SHOULD CONTINUE TO CONSOLIDATE ITS POSITION IN TERMS OF LIGHT MANUFACTURING AND AS THE LEADING COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL CENTRE IN THE FAR EAST,

+HOWEVER, FOR HONG KONG TO REACH THIS LONGER TERM POSITION, THE PRESENT POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY MUST BE SATISFACTORILY RESOLVED. TO ACHIEVE THIS, THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG ARE LOOKING FOR CONTINUITY AND A CREDIBLE ASSURANCE OF SUCH CONTINUITY, SHE SAID.

REFERRING TO THE TALKS BETWEEN THE CHINESE AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENTS, MISS DUNN POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, HAD ASSURED PEOPLE IN HONG KONG THAT THESE TALKS WERE PROCEEDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. ON THE BRITISH SIDE, WITH SIR PERCY CRADOCK IN CHARGE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS, AND THE GOVERNOR BEING CLOSELY INVOLVED, AND GIVEN THE UNDOUBTED INTENTIONS OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, SHE WAS SURE THAT ACCEPTABLE ARRANGEMENTS WOULD BE DEVISED.

PRICE AND VOLUME MOVEMENTS OF EXTERNAL TRADE FOR MARCH 1983

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· THE PRICES OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS BOTH ROSE ON THE AVERAGE BY THREE PER CENT SO THAT, FOR TOTAL EXPORTS, PRICES WERE UP BY THREE PER CENT IN MARCH 1983 AS COMPARED WITH MARCH 1982, ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY (WEDNESDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

/MEANWHILE, THE