XN000022-1985-11-30 — Page 10

8

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1985

+ IT MAY WELL BE THAT THE TIMING OF THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE EXERCISE, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO END IN JULY, THE SAME TIME AS THE MFA NEGOTIATIONS WILL BE REACHING A CLIMAX, COULD BE HELPFUL TO HONG KONG.

+GIVEN THAT THE QUESTION OF LIBERALISATION, AND OTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST TO HONG KONG WILL BE KEY TOPICS AT THAT TIME, THIS MAY RESTRAIN THE MORE PROTECTIONIST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES IN THE MFA NEGOTIATIONS, MR WONG SAID.

HK'S MANAGERIAL, PRODUCTION SKILLS OF SIGNIFICANT VALUE *****

HONG KONG'S MANAGERIAL AND PRODUCTION SKILLS GENERALLY HAVE BEEN OF SIGNIFICANT VALUE IN THE SYMBIOTIC ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP WHICH NOW EXISTS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND THE MAINLAND, SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, MR PIERS JACOBS SAID THIS (SATURDAY) EVENING.

HE POINTED OUT THAT WITH THE OPENING UP OF CHINA, HONG KONG HAD INCREASINGLY ASSUMED THE ROLE AS AN ACCESS POINT FOR CHINA PARTICULARLY IN RELATION TO SERVICES AND TO TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER.

+

+ONLY BY KEEPING OUR SKILLS UP-TO-DATE WILL HONG KONG CONTINUE TO HAVE A USEFUL ROLE TO PLAY IN CHINA'S MODERNISATION PROGRAMME,+ HE SAID.

ADDRESSING THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT ALUMNI SOCIETY AND THE OVERSEAS GRADUATES ASSOCIATION ANNUAL BALL, MR JACOBS ADDED THAT HONG KONG'S POSITION AS AN INTERNATIONAL CITY AND A MAJOR FINANCIAL CENTRE RELIED HEAVILY ON THE SUPPORT AND INPUT OF MANY SKILLED AND TALENTED PEOPLE WHETHER THEY BE OUR OWN OR FROM OVERSEAS.

+AS YOU KNOW, HONG KONG HAS WELL ESTABLISHED LINKS NOT ONLY WITH THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY BUT ALSO WITH ACADEMIC ORGANISATIONS IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD.

+AND I BELIEVE THAT WE MUST CONTINUE TO FOSTER THIS INTERNATIONAL CHARACTER AND FLAVOUR OF HONG KONG.

+THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION ON OUR FUTURE AND WITH THE DESIRE OF EVERYONE TO SECURE THE CONTINUING PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG,+ HE SAID,

MR JACOBS SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR WAS STILL THE LARGEST IN TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT AND CONTRIBUTION TO THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT, THE PAST DECADE HAD SEEN A RAPID GROWTH IN THE SERVICES SECTORS, PARTICULARLY FINANCIAL AND RELATED BUSINESS SERVICES.

/+THE EXPANSION

Page 10Page 11