XN000022-1989-10-25 — Page 24

22

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1989

LAST 12 MONTHS

OCT 88

ΤΟ

SEP 89

HK$ MN.

OCT 87

ΤΟ SEP 88 HKS MN.

INCREASE

HK$ MN.

%

DOMESTIC EXPORTS

225,219

210.488

14,731

7.0

RE-EXPORTS

337,245

246,652

90,593 36.7

TOTAL EXPORTS

562.464

457.140

IMPORTS

564.426

462.400

105.324 23.0

102,026 22.1

TRADE BALANCE

-1.962

-5,260

3.298

BUSINESS ACTIVITIES IN HK RETURN TO NORMAL: STI

BUSINESS ACTIVITIES IN HONG KONG, INCLUDING THOSE INVOLVING CHINA, HAVE QUICKLY RETURNED TO NORMAL SINCE JUNE, THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR JOHN CHAN, SAID YESTERDAY (TUESDAY, BRUSSELS TIME).

"THE FUNDAMENTAL ATTRACTIONS OF HONG KONG AS A PLACE FOR BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT REMAIN UNSHAKEN. AND NEW INVESTMENT HAS CONTINUED TO COME IN,

門 HE TOLD THE ROYAL INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS IN BRUSSELS IN A SPEECH ENTITLED: "HONG KONG: WILL IT WORK?'

N

CITING JUST A FEW SIGNIFICANT EXAMPLES, MR CHAN SAID TOWARDS THE END OF JULY, FIVE CONSORTIA BID FOR THE LARGEST SITE EVER SOLD IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, IT WAS A CLOSE CONTEST WON BY A BID OF US$350 MILLION.

"HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL TERMINALS RECENTLY SECURED A LOAN OF US$1.35 BILLION TO CONSTRUCT TWO NEW CONTAINER TERMINALS. THE LOAN SYNDICATE INVOLVED U.S., JAPANESE AND HONG KONG INTERESTS. THE PAPER WAS OVERSUBSCRIBED ON ISSUE.

·

AND FOUR CONSORTIA BID FOR THE FRANCHISE TO BUILD AND THE WORLD'S BIGGEST CABLE TELEVISION NETWORK IN HONG KONG.

OPERATE

"THE SUCCESSFUL BIDDER BROUGHT TOGETHER CODITEL OF BELGIUM, US WEST AND HONG KONG INTERESTS. THEY WILL BE INVESTING US$700 MILLION IN BUILDING THE SYSTEM," HE SAID.

ALSO SINCE JUNE, MR CHAN ADDED, A SERIES OF INVESTMENT PLANS HAD BEEN ANNOUNCED BY JAPANESE INVESTORS, THEREBY DEMONSTRATING CONFIDENCE IN THE ECONOMIC FUTURE OF HONG KONG.

THEIR

/"THE NEC