XN000022-1986-11-23 — Page 2

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23,

EUROPE'S AWARENESS OF HK GROWING

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THERE IS AN INCREASING AWARENESS IN EUROPE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF HONG KONG AND THE EMERGING IMPORTANCE OF HONG KONG AS A CENTRE OF BUSINESS IN THE REGION, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AT THE AIRPORT AFTER HIS RETURN FROM EUROPE. SIR DAVID SAID THE MOST INTERESTING THING HE DID DURING THE TRIP WAS TO OFFICIATE AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE BELGIUM- HONG KONG SOCIETY AT BRUSSELS.

THERE HE WAS ABLE TO MEET ABOUT 60 BUSINESSMEN FROM BELGIUM WHO WERE INTERESTED IN SETTING UP THE IR ORGANISATIONS IN HONG KONG.

+THIS WILL FURTHER CO-OPERATION BETWEEN HONG KONG AND BRUSSELS, AND ALSO WILL LEAD TO INCREASING BUSINESS BETWEEN THE TWO PLACÉS. SO THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT THING,+ SIR DAVID SAID.

WHEN ASKED ABOUT RECENT CASES OF CHILD ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA, SIR DAVID SAID THAT HE WAS SURE THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE BRINGING THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES.

+THIS IS NOT GOOD FOR ANYONE, IT'S NOT GOOD FOR THE CHILDREN, IT'S NOT GOOD FOR THE AUTHORITIES IN CHINA OR THE AUTHORITIES HERE,+ HE SAID.

TURNING TO THE QUESTION OF ALLOWANCE FOR DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS, SIR DAVID SAID THAT HE GATHERED FROM PRESS REPORTS THAT MEMBERS WERE NOT SATISFIED WITH IT, AND ALSO THAT SOME LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAD COMMENTED ON THE INADEQUACY OF THE ALLOWANCE AND ALSO ON THE GOVERNMENT'S SLOWNESS IN GRANTING IT.

ASKED WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD REVIEW THE RATE OF ALLOWANCE, SIR DAVID SAID, CERTAINLY, IN VIEW OF THE REQUEST, I THINK PROBABLY THE GOVERNMENT WILL OBVIOUSLY AS WE DO WITH ALL REQUESTS, LOOK AT IT AGAIN. +

ASKED WHETHER PEOPLE'S CONFIDENCE IN DB MEMBERS WOULD BE AFFECTED AS THEY WERE SO CONCERNED ABOUT THE QUESTION OF ALLOWANCE, SIR DAVID SAID HE DID NOT THINK SO.

+1 DON'T THINK PEOPLE'S CONFIDENCE IN THE DISTRICT BOARDS IS IN ANY WAY AFFECTED BY THIS. THIS IS SIMPLY BETWEEN THE BOARD MEMBERS AND THE GOVERNMENT. THE DISTRICT BOARDS HAVE DONE A VERY GOOD JOB OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AND ARE DOING A VERY GOOD JOB,+ HE SAID.

/SIR DAVID