XN000022-1987-09-12 — Page 4

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1987

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GREATER RATE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH FORECAST

HONG KONG SHOULD EXPERIENCE AN EVEN GREATER RATE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE RUN-UP TO 1997 AND BEYOND UNLESS THERE IS A DOWNTURN IN THE WORLD ECONOMY, THE DIRECTOR OF HONG KONG ECONOMIC AFFAIRS IN SAN FRANCISCO, MR BILLY LAM, HAS SAID.

ADDRESSING A SEMINAR EARLIER THIS WEEK IN DENVER, COLORADO, MR LAM SAID HE BELIEVED THAT HONG KONG WOULD EXPERIENCE THIS GROWTH BECAUSE OF THE CLOSER ECONOMIC LINKS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA, AS WELL AS THE RISING IMPORTANCE OF THE PACIFIC RIM REGION IN THE WORLD ECONOMY.

THE TRADE AND INVESTMENT SEMINAR WAS ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC AFFAIRS OFFICE IN SAN FRANCISCO IN CO-OPERATION WITH THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE ASSOCIATION OF COLORADO.

"THE LATEST POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS IN HONG KONG SERVE TO ILLUSTRATE THAT THE TRANSITION OF HONG KONG INTO A SPECIAL

CHINA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF

HAS NOT HAMPERED IN ANY WAY ITS CONTINUOUS DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPERITY AS AN INTERNATIONAL MANUFACTURING, TRADING AND FINANCIAL CENTRE," MR LAM SAID.

UNDERLINING HONG KONG'S IMPORTANCE IN TWO-WAY TRADE, MR LAM NOTED THAT SOME 250 COMPANIES FROM THE STATE OF COLORADO ALREADY

SELECTION EXPORT A WIDE

OF PRODUCTS то HONG KONG, RANGING FROM HIGH-TECH EQUIPMENT TO LEATHER ITEMS.

MANY LEADING COLORADO NAMES, SUCH AS GATES RUBBER COMPANY, MINI SCRIBE (LONGMONT} AND NBI INC HAVE ALREADY SET UP OFFICES AMONG OR ASIAN REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS IN HONG KONG, WHILE HONG KONG IS THE TOP 20 IMPORTING NATIONS FROM THE STATE.

ALSO TAKING PART IN THE SEMINAR

WERE HONG, HONG INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT, ROBERT ASHWORTH, WHO DISCUSSED INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND HONG KONG TRADE DEVELOPMENT SPOKE ON HONG KONG'S COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE, DANIEL FERNANDEZ, WHO POSITION IN TWO-WAY TRADE. VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL UNITED BANK OF DENVER, T. TANAKA, OUTLINED

AS A BANKING CENTRE AND ITS ExcellentT RECORD IN TRADE BANKING.

HONG KONG

FORMER

EXECUTIVE

DIRECTOR

OF

ANOTHER SPEAKER AT THE SEMINAR, THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN HONG KONG, MR RAYMOND PURI.,

THE MERITS REITERATED TO U.S. BUSINESSMEN

OF THE TERRITORY AS A CENTRE FOR TRADE AND INVESTMENT.

MR PURL SAID THAT BASED ON HIS SEVERAL YEARS EXPERIENCE IN 900 THE TERRITORY AS AN EXECUTIVE WITH UNION CARBIDE HE COULD SEE WHY U.S. FIRMS ARE ALREADY BASED IN HONG KONG.

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