XN000022-1985-11-27 — Page 33

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1985

REFERRING TO THE RECENT VOTE IN THE U.S. SENATE ON THE JENKINS BILL, MR LEE SAID WE COULD NOT RELY ON THE PRESIDENTIAL VETO TO RELIEVE US FROM THIS THORNY SUBJECT.

ONE POSITIVE WAY TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM, HE SAID, WAS FOR THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR TO MOVE TOWARDS HIGH TECHNOLOGY SOMETHING WHICH THE ECONOMISTS HAD TIME AND AGAIN URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO PROMOTE.

+1 AM AFRAID THAT, IN MY OPINION, OUR GOVERNMENT HAS GIVEN US LIP SERVICE AND DOING VERY LITTLE IN ENHANCING THE DEVELOPMENT IN THIS AREA.

+ I SUGGEST THAT WE SET UP A COMMITTEE WITH SPECIFIC TERMS OF REFERENCE TO TAKE ACTIONS ON THIS IMPORTANT SUBJECT WHICH WILL AFFECT OUR FUTURE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HE SAID.

MR LEE ALSO NOTED THAT DURING THE LAST FEW YEARS THERE HAD BEEN A GRADUAL BUT CONTINUING SHIFT IN THE ECONOMIC BASE OF HONG KONG FROM MANUFACTURING INTO THE SERVICE AND FINANCIAL SECTOR.

NOTING THAT THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR WAS STILL THE LARGEST SECTOR FOR EMPLOYMENT, HE STRESSED THAT WE MUST RECOGNISE THIS SHIFTING OF OUR ECONOMIC BASE AND LOOK TO DIRECTIONS OTHER THAN MANUFACTURING TO HELP TO MAINTAIN OUR GROWTH AND PROSPERITY INTO THE 1990'S.

HE BELIEVED THAT THE NEW FIELD OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY+, KNOWN TO THE WORLD AS +IT+, WOULD PROVE CRUCIAL TO OUR EFFORTS IN PRESSING FORWARD WITH DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SERVICE AND FINANCIAL SECTOR.

MR LEE SAID INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY WAS THE TECHNOLOGY CONCERNED WITH THE GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, AND

VIDEO, USE OF INFORMATION IN VARIOUS FORMS, INCLUDING VOICE, TEXT AND DATA.

+ IT INCLUDES ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS AND CONSUMER ELECTRONICS, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, BOTH THE HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE ASPECTS OF COMPUTING AND THE DESIGN AND PRODUCTION OF COMPUTER-BASED MANUFACTURING SYSTEM.

+ IT IS, THEREFORE, NOT JUST A QUESTION OF USING COMPUTERS, HE SAID.

MR LEE POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG OPERATED IN THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA OF TRADE AND FINANCE, AND IT WAS INEVITABLE THAT WE WOULD BE INCREASINGLY AFFECTED BY THESE NEW TECHNOLOGIES.

+MOWEVER I BELIEVE THERE IS A MORE IMPORTANT REASON FOR HONG KONG TO ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENTS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY'.

*

/+WE HAVE