XN000022-1989-01-11 — Page 50

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1989

LORD GLENARTHUR: PROMOTION OF TRADE WITH TAIWAN, IS THAT WHAT YOU ARE DRIVING AT? PROMOTION OF TRADE, YES. I MEAN, THERE IS SCOPE I THINK FOR INCREASING OUR TRADE LINKS WITH TAIWAN, WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PROPOSALS. IT IS QUITE INTERESTING TO NOTE, TOO, THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN ECONOMIC TRADE ACTIVITY BETWEEN MAINLAND CHINA AND TAIWAN.

YEARS.

SANDY LI: TREMENDOUS DEVELOPMENT HASN'T BEEN SEEN IN THE PAST

•

LORD GLENARTHUR: RAPID DEVELOPMENT IN. ?

SANDY LI: PAST FEW YEARS.

LORD GLENARTHUR: WELL, THERE HAS BEEN RAPID DEVELOPMENT IN TAIWAN. THERE IS ALSO THE NEED TO TRY AND BUILD UP THE LINKS BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND TAIWAN ON A TRADE BASIS AND WE ARE CONTINUALLY LOOKING AT WAYS OF IMPROVING THAT.

AGNES LAM (SCMP)! ABOUT THE ANNOUNCEMENT, RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ANGLO-HONG KONG TRUST WHICH IS AIMED TO FOSTER THE LINK BETWEEN HONG KONG AND BRITISH BUSINESSMEN. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT WILL BE THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO THE TRUST AND DO YOU FEEL THAT HONG KONG, I MEAN LOCAL BUSINESSMEN, ARE SUFFICIENTLY AWARE OF THE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN UK?

LORD GLENARTHUR: I THINK IT IS A GOOD IDEA. IT IS ESSENTIALLY A PRIVATE VENTURE, AND WE CERTAINLY HAVE GIVEN IT OUR BLESSING SO FAR AS ITS EXPRESS PURPOSE OF IMPROVING TWO-WAY TRADE AND INVESTMENT BETWEEN BRITAIN AND HONG KONG IS CONCERNED. LORD YOUNG AND GOING TO HOST A DINNER, AN INAUGURAL DINNER, ON MARCH 21 I AND HOPEFULLY IT WILL FLOURISH. I THINK IT IS A GOOD IDEA.

AGNES LAM: BUT WHAT WILL THE BRITISH COMMITMENT ON THE

I ARE THINK,

TRUST

BE?

LORD GLENARTHUR: WELL, IT HASN'T EVEN REALLY HAPPENED YET. IT IS STILL IN ITS FORMATION. IT IS A PRIVATE VENTURE. I MEAN COMMITMENT IS ΤΟ SUPPORT IT SO FAR AS WE CAN TELL IT IS GOING DEVELOP. I MEAN IT IS ALL PART OF A MEANS OF TRYING TO DEVELOP MUTUAL, THE TWO-WAY TRAFFIC IN TRADE AND INVESTMENT. COMMITMENT IS AS WHOLEHEARTED AS I HAVE DESCRIBED IT.

OUR

TO

THE

30

OUR

AGNES LAM: MY QUESTION BUSINESSMEN .

IS ABOUT THE AWARENESS OF

LOCAL

то

LORD GLENARTHUR: WELL, IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE VERY KEEN TRY AND INCREASE, AWARENESS OF THE OPPORTUNITIES HERE FOR BRITISH FIRMS TO COME. IT IS SOMETHING WHICH LORD YOUNG AND I HAVE BOTH CONCENTRATED ON IN THE PAST AND THERE IS A TWO-WAY SIDE TO IT. WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE COMPANIES THAT ARE BASED HERE TO SET UP OTHER WAY, AND SO ON.

WE

THE

/MAGGIE NELSON (RTHK):

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