XN000022-1984-12-11 — Page 9

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1984

+ IN PARTICULAR, THE OPPORTUNITY YOU HAVE PROVIDED FOR US TO MEET AND TALK WITH LEADERS OF YOUR GOVERNMENT WILL, I AM SURE, PROVE MOST VALUABLE IN STRENGTHENING THE EXISTING EXCELLENT RELATIONS BETWEEN JAPAN AND HONG KONG, SIR EDWARD SAID.

THIS CLOSE RELATION OWED MUCH TO THE FORMER JAPANESE MINISTER, MR SONAO SONODA, AT WHOSE SUGGESTION THE JAPAN-HONG KONG AND HONG KONG-JAPAN BUSINESS COOPERATION COMMITTEES HAD BEEN BROUGHT INTO BEING.

+THE WORK OF THESE COMMITTEES HAS, I BELIEVE, HELPED TO PROMOTE A GREATER UNDERSTANDING AND AWARENESS OF HONG KONG'S ASPIRATIONS AMONG THE JAPANESE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.

+ IT HAS LED TO TANGIBLE RESULTS IN EASING ACCESS FOR HONG KONG PRODUCTS IN THE JAPANESE MARKET, THE GOVERNOR SAID.

GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE OF BILATERAL TRADE TO BOTH ECONOMIES, HE HAD HIGH HOPES THAT THIS FRUITFUL COOPERATION BETWEEN THE COMMITTEES AND BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENTS WOULD BE STRENGTHENED FURTHER, THE GOVERNOR SAID.

GOVERNOR RETURNING TOMORROW *****

THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, AND LADY YOUDE, WILL RETURN FROM JAPAN TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY) WITH SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC MISSION AFTER A FOUR-DAY VISIT.

THE GROUP WILL BE ARRIVING ON FLIGHT JL 001, ETA 10.50 PM.

CHANGES IN PRICE AND VOLUME OF SEPTEMBER

EXTERNAL TRADE

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DOMESTIC EXPORTS ROSE BY 15 PER CENT AND RE-EXPORTS BY 25 PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS IN SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR COMPARED WITH SEPTEMBER 1983, SO THAT TOTAL EXPORTS INCREASED BY 19 PER CENT, ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

IMPORTS INCREASED BY 12 PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS. PRICES OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS ROSE BY 11 PER CENT AND 13 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY, SO THAT FOR TOTAL EXPORTS, PRICES WERE UP BY 12 PER CENT IN SEPTEMBER 1984 COMPARED WITH SEPTEMBER 1983. PRICES OF IMPORTS ROSE BY SEVEN PER CENT.

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