XN000022-1985-03-07 — Page 8

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I, Med 7, 1985

HE NOTED THAT THE DEMAND FOR DIAMONDS HAD BEEN STEADILY INCREASING OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. THE NET RETAINED IMPORTS OF POLISHED DIAMONDS IN HONG KONG AMOUNTED TO $2.4 BILLION IN 1982 AND $2.7 BILLION IN 1983. FOR 1984, THE FIGURE WAS OVER $2.9 BILLION.

THE BOURSE WOULD ALSO BE AN IDEAL VENUE FOR ORGANISING AUCTIONS, EXHIBITIONS, AND SEMINARS FOR THE INDUSTRY, HE ADDED.

+THE HONG KONG ECONOMY HAS SHOWN STRONG SIGNS OF RETURNING VIGOUR AND I AM SURE THAT THE DIAMOND INDUSTRY WILL SHARE THE SUCCESS AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG IN THE YEAR OF THE OX,+ SIR JOHN SAID.

HE SAID THAT DIAMOND EXCHANGES HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED IN LONDON, NEW YORK, ANTWERP, TEL AVIV AND JOHANNESBURG.

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SIR PHILIP VISITS POLLING STATIONS

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THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, TODAY (THURSDAY) VISITED FIVE POLLING STATIONS FOR A FIRST HAND LOOK AT VOTING IN THE DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS.

STARTING AT 11 AM, SIR PHILIP; ACCOMPANIED BY THE DIRECTOR OF COUNCILS AND ADMINISTRATION BRANCH, MR TONY HAMMOND, VISITED POLLING STATIONS IN THREE DISTRICTS - KWAI CHUNG AND TSING YI, MONG KOK AND YAU MA TEI.

AT EACH STATION, SIR PHILIP WAS MET ON ARRIVAL BY THE RETURNING OFFICER FOR THE DISTRICT CONCERNED, AND WAS BRIEFED ON THE LATEST SITUATION THERE.

SIR PHILIP WAS TOLD THAT THE POLLING STATION AT THE SHEK LEI ESTATE COMMUNITY CENTRE, SERVING THE KWAI CHUNG EAST CONSTITUENCY, HAD EIGHT CANDIDATES VYING FOR TWO SEATS.

THE POLLING STATION AT CHURCH OF CHRIST IN CHINA MONG KOK CHURCH KAI OI SCHOOL SERVED 15 985 REGISTERED VOTERS, THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF VOTERS AMONG POLLING STATIONS.

SIR PHILIP THEN WENT TO THE POLLING STATION AT THE URBAN COUNCIL PERFORMING COMPANIES OFFICE, AT YAU MA TEI.

HERE, HE LEARNED THAT ONE PAKISTANI AND TWO INDIAN RESIDENTS WERE AMONG THE SIX CANDIDATES VYING FOR THE TWO SEATS IN THE TSIM SHA TSUI CONSTITUENCY.

/IN THE