XN000022-1989-04-28 — Page 6

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FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 1989

MR STRACHAN SAID THIS WHILE HE WAS PRESENTING A DISCUSSION PAPER PREPARED BY THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE, MR DERICK HALL, FOR THE PORTS CONFERENCE.

IN THE PAPER WHICH IS ENTITLED "THE PORT OF HONG KONG: CURRENT SITUATION AND FUTURE PROSPECTS" MR HALL GAVE A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE PORT, FROM ITS PRESENT FACILITIES AND OPERATION TO ITS POSSIBLE AMBITIOUS PLANS FOR EXPANSIONS AND ITS RELATIONS WITH CHINA'S DEVELOPMENTS.

MR STRACHAN POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE MASSIVE INFRASTRUCTURAL GROWTH REQUIRED FOR THE PORT DEMANDED THE MOST CAREFUL PLANNING AND STUDY.

HE SAID HONG KONG WAS ONE OF THE WORLD'S BUSIEST PORTS WITH VESSELS OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES CRISS-CROSSING THE CROWDED HARBOUR.

"SHIPS FROM MORE THAN 200 LINES. FLYING THE FLAGS OF 70 COUNTRIES TRADE BETWEEN HONG KONG AND WORLD PORTS.

"TO MEET EVER INCREASING DEMANDS BEING PLACED UPON THE PORT, HONG KONG HAS EMBARKED UPON THE INSTALLATION OF A VESSEL TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. HE SAID.

"

THE SYSTEM, WHICH WOULD BE THE WORLD'S MOST UP-TO-DATE WOULD COMMENCE OPEATION LATER THIS SUMMER, HE ADDED.

SYSTEM,

TURNING TO CONTAINER HANDLING, MR STRACHAN SAID HONG KONG WAS CURRENTLY THE WORLD'S NUMBER ONE IN TERMS OF THROUGHPUT WHICH, IN 1988, TOTALLED JUST OVER FOUR MILLION TEU'S, 25 PER CENT OF WHICH HANDLED MID-STREAM.

WAS

AT A PROJECTED GROWTH OF 14 PER CENT PER ANNUM UP TO 1995, IT WAS ENVISAGED THAT HONG KONG COULD BY THEN BE HANDLING 7.5 MILLION TEU'S AT CONTAINER TERMINALS AND A FURTHER 2.5 MILLION TEU'S MID-STREAM, TOTALLING 10 MILLION TEU'S. HE ADDED.

NOTED ON THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF THE PORT, MR STRACHAN

THAT HONG KONG HAD A WELL SHELTERED, NATURAL DEEF WATER HARBOUR AND WAS NAVIGABLE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

"WITH 150 YEARS OF PORT EXPERIENCE BEHIND IT HONG KONG HAS ATTAINED INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION,' HE SAID.

WELL

ITS STRATEGIC LOCATION ON FAR EAST TRADE ROUTES AND IT'S CENTRAL POSITION IN THE FAST

ASIA-PACIFIC BASIN WERE RECOGNISED FACTORS, HE ADDED.

GROWING

MR STRACHAN, HOWEVER, ALSO POINTED OUT THAT INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHERN CHINA WAS A NEW NOW SPIRALLING HONG KONG'S GROWTH.

THE

ECONOMIC FACTOR WHICH

AND

WAS

/HE SAID