XN000022-1990-03-12 — Page 2

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MONDAY, MARCH 12, 1990

MINISTERS DETERMINED TO PUT PACKAGE TO PARLIAMENT: GOVERNOR

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MINISTERS IN BRITAIN REMAINED DETERMINED TO PUT THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE TO PARLIAMENT AND THEY STILL BELIEVE THAT THEY WILL GET IT THROUGH, THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

+

VISIT TO

SPEAKING ΤΟ REPORTERS ON HIS RETURN FROM A ROUTINE LONDON, SIR DAVID SAID THERE WAS, OF COURSE, CONCERN ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN MAKING CRITICISMS OF THE PACKAGE.

"BUT WHEN I TALKED TO MINISTERS THEY STILL THOUGHT THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO GET IT THROUGH PARLIAMENT AND THAT IS CERTAINLY THEIR OBJECTIVE,' HE SAID.

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HONG

"I HAVE ASSURED THEM THAT IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE IN KONG CAN DO TO HELP, WE WILL DO SO," SIR DAVID

SAID, ADDING: "FOR INSTANCE, BY EXPLAINING THE SITUATION HERE AND WHY WE BELIEVE IT IS SO NECESSARY TO HAVE MEASURES TO KEEP IN HONG KONG, KEY PEOPLE WHO WILL CONTRIBUTE TO HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY IN THE FUTURE.

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ASKED IF THERE WERE CONTINGENCY PLANS SHOULD THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE FALL THROUGH, THE GOVERNOR SAID: "I DON'T THINK IT'S A QUESTION OF

TRYING TO PRODUCE CONTINGENCY PLANS FOR IF IT IS TURNED DOWN BY PARLIAMENT.'

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"AT THIS STAGE, IT'S A QUESTION OF TRYING TO MAKE SURE IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY THAT IT DOES GET THROUGH PARLIAMENT, HE ADDED.

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THE GOVERNOR WAS MET AT THE AIRPORT BY THE CHIEF SIR DAVID FORD.

SECRETARY,

STEADY GROWTH IN TRADING LINK WITH ASIA-PACIFIC

IN

THE

HONG KONG'S TRADING LINK WITH MAJOR ECONOMIES ASIA-PACIFIC REGION HAS BEEN STEADILY EXPANDING, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF TRADE, MR MATTHEW CHEUNG, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

SPEAKING AT A LUNCH MEETING OF THE HONG KONG JAPANESE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, MR CHEUNG SAID THESE ECONOMIES INCLUDED JAPAN, CHINA, TAIWAN, SOUTH KOREA, AUSTRALIA, NEW

AND THE ASEAN COUNTRIES.

ZEALAND

"AS A MEASURE OF THIS GROWTH, WHEREAS THESE COUNTRIES ACCOUNTED FOR ONLY 46 PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S TOTAL TRADE AND 16 PER CENT OF OUR EXPORTS IN 1979 IN VALUE TERMS, THE FIGURES HAVE RISEN TO 60.2 PER CENT AND 35.5 PER CENT IN 1989," HE SAID.

/HE SAID