XN000022-1985-04-25 — Page 3

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THURSDAY, APRIL 43, 1985

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION ON THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT REGARDING THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP, SIR EDWARD SAID: +1 HAVE NOTHING NEW TO TELL YOU ON THAT, THE DISCUSSIONS ARE STILL GOING ON BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS.+

HE ADDED THAT THE JLG WAS NOT THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF HIS VISIT TO LONDON.

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION ON WHEN THE JOINT DECLARATION WILL BE RATIFIED, HE SAID: IT HAS TO BE RATIFIED BEFORE THE 30TH OF JUNE. BÚT THE EXACT DATE HASN'T YET BEEN ANNOUNCED.+

ASKED ABOUT THE PRIME MINISTER'S OPINION ON THE IDEA OF INCLUDING A LOCAL CHINESE MEMBER ON THE JLG, SIR EDWARD REPLIED: +ALL I CAN TELL YOU AT THE MOMENT IS THAT ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE COMING INTO EFFECT OF THE AGREEMENT ARE STILL UNDER DISCUSSION AND OF COURSE I DON'T REVEAL THE CONTENT OF MY DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PRIME MINISTER.+

SIR EDWARD WAS MET AT THE AIRPORT BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE THE SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, SIR S.Y. CHUNG AND THE SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SIR ROGER LOBO.

PROVISIONAL TRADE FIGURES FOR MARCH

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THE VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS IN MARCH 1985, AT $8 430 MILLION, DECREASED BY 20 PER CENT OR $2 072 MILLION COMPARED WITH MARCH 1984, WHILE THE VALUE OF RE-EXPORTS GREW BY 36 PER CENT OR $2 424 MILLION TO $9 078 MILLION, ACCORDING TO PROVISIONAL TRADE FIGURES PUBLISHED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

TAKING DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS TOGETHER, THE VALUE OF TOTAL EXPORTS, AT $17 508 MILLION, WAS TWO PER CENT OR $352 MILLION HIGHER THAN A YEAR EARLIER.

THE VALUE OF IMPORTS GREW BY 10 PER CENT OR $1 778 MILLION OVER MARCH 1984 TO REACH $19 915 MILLION.

AS THE VALUE OF TOTAL EXPORTS GREW AT A SLOWER RATE THAN THAT OF IMPORTS, THE VISIBLE TRADE GAP, THAT IS THE PROPORTION OF THE VALUE OF IMPORTS NOT COVERED BY THAT OF TOTAL EXPORTS, WIDENED TO 12 PER CENT IN MARCH 1985 FROM FIVE PER CENT IN MARCH 1984.

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