XN000022-1991-03-10 — Page 8

SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 1991

ECONOMIC BUSINES9

"THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT FOR INSTANCE THAT THE SHENZHEN ZONE AUTHORITIES WOULD LIKE TO ATTRACT BOTH PORT AND AIRPORT FROM HONG KONG, AND SINGAPORE HAS ALWAYS COMPETED FOR SERVICE BUSINESS AND FOR REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS AND ALWAYS WILL DO SO.

"SO WE HAVE TO ACT WITH VIGOR.

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MR BARNES NOTED THAT THE CHANGES OF THE NEXT 10 YEARS WOULD NOT BE JUST LIKE THOSE IN THE PREVIOUS 10 AS HE DOUBTED WHETHER HONG KONG COULD COUNT ON A STEADY UPWARD CLIMB IN THE ECONOMY AND A CONTINUED PROFITABLE SWING FROM MANUFACTURING TO SERVICE INDUSTRIES.

HE PREDICTED THAT ONE OF THE MOST INEVITABLE CHANGES IS LIKELY TO BE A MUCH MORE CONSCIOUS AND MUCH MORE DELIBERATE INTEGRATION OF THE HONG KONG ECONOMY WITH THE GUANGDONG ECONOMY AND A GREATER MEASURE OF CO-OPERATION IN PLANNING THAN EXISTS NOW.

"IT IS IN OUR INTERESTS THAT OUR COMMUNICATIONS ΤΟ AND FROM GUANGDONG AND GUANGDONG'S COMMUNICATIONS WITH HONG KONG SHOULD BE AS GOOD AS POSSIBLE, HE ADDED.

tr

IN THIS RESPECT, MR BARNES

DESCRIBED THE PROPOSALS BY ᎨᏒ GORDON WU TO BUILD A SPINE ROAD FROM GUANGZHOU TO SHENZHEN AS "ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL" ADDING THAT HIS OTHER IDEAS FOR A BRIDGE, CAUSEWAY AND TUNNEL ACROSS THE PEARL RIVER MOUTH FROM ZHUHAI AND MACAU AND THE SOUTH OF GUANGDONG TO TUEN MUN COULD ALSO INCREASE THE VIABILITY OF HONG KONG IN THE LONG TERM.

FURTHERMORE, THE ECONOMICS OF CLOSER CO-OPERATION WITH CHINA ARE AND WILL CONTINUE TO ACT IN FAVOUR OF THE WEST AND NORTH-WEST OF THE TERRITORY, INCLUDING TUEN MUN AND TIN SHUI WAI.

THIS TREND IS REFLECTED IN THE INCREASED REAL AND IN AREAS, BOTH LEGAL AND ILLEGAL, TO CATER FOR THINGS CONTAINER STORES MID WAY BETWEEN THE FACTORIES THE PORT IN KWAI CHUNG.

ESTATE ACTIVITY AMONGST OTHER IN CHINA AND

SAID THE

ON CHANGES NEEDED FOR THE URBAN ARBAS, MR BARNES RESIDUE OF MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY NOW HOUSED IN OLD FASHIONED BUILDINGS, WOULD MIGRATE FROM HONG KONG ISLAND AND NORTHWARDS EITHER TO CHINA OR TO THE NORTHERN PARTS OF TERRITORIES ACCESSIBLE FROM CHINA DURING THE NEXT DECADE.

KOWLOON THE NEW

"AND THIS MIGRATION OF INDUSTRY IS ONE OF THE MAJOR FACTORS WHICH WILL ENABLE US TO IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE URBAN ARBAS ANOTHER GREAT NEED AS WE MOVE TOWARDS BEING THE GREATEST SERVICE CENTRE IN ASIA.

"EVEN NOW BOTH FANLING AND YUEN LONG ARE QUITE POPULAR FOR INDUSTRY AS THE INDUSTRIAL LAND 18 GENERALLY LOW DENSITY AND A FACTORY OWNER MAY BE ABLE TO AFFORD A SITE TO DEVELOP HIS OWN FACTORY THERE WITH ALL THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS NEEDED."

MR BARNES ALSO SPOKE ON THE METROPLAN WHICH IS A FRAMEWORK OR GUIDELINES FOR THE GRADUAL REDEVELOPMENT OF THE COMBINED URBAN AREAS OF HONG KONG, KOWLOON, NORTH KOWLOON AND TSUEN WAN/KWAI CHUNG.

/"THE PROJECTS