XN000022-1991-05-14 — Page 3

TUESDAY, MAY 14, 1991

SIR DAVID SAID THAT IN HIS DISCUSSION WITH BUSINESSMEN IN AUSTRALIA, THEY HAD SHOWN A GREAT INTEREST IN HONG

KONG, NOT SIMPLY

IN THE SHORT TERM, BUT WELL BEYOND 1997. THIS WAS PARTICULARLY THE CASE WITH HONG KONG AS A BASE FOR THROUGH TRADE WITH CHINA.

THIS AFTERNOON, THE GOVERNOR AND LADY WILSON VISITED SYDNEY UNIVERSITY, ONE OF THE OLDEST IN AUSTRALIA, WHERE HE MET A NUMBER OF YOUNG HONG KONG PEOPLE WHO ARE STUDYING AT THE CAMPUS.

THE MEETING LASTED FOR NEARLY AN HOUR DURING WHICH TIME HE ASKED QUESTIONS OF THE STUDENTS AND IN TURN ALLOWED THEM то QUESTION HIM ABOUT A RANGE OF TOPICS DEALING WITH HONG KONG.

SIR DAVID MADE THE POINT THAT HE HOPED THE STUDENTS WOULD RETURN TO HONG KONG ONCE THEY HAD GRADUATED. IN VIRTUALLY ALL CASES THE STUDENTS ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.

THE GOVERNOR WOUND UP HIS PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTS IN SYDNEY TONIGHT (TUESDAY) WITH AN ADDRESS ΤΟ THE SYDNEY INSTITUTE. ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES AND PROSPECTS FOR HONG KONG AND ITS RELATIONS WITH AUSTRALIA.

SIR DAVID AND LADY WILSON WILL RETURN ΤΟ HONG KONG TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY).

HONG KONG PROSPERITY RESTS WITH GROWTH IN PACIFIC REGION: GOVERNOR

HONG KONG'S CONFIDENCE IN FUTURE PROSPERITY RESTS VERY MUCH ON STRONG GROWTH IN THE PACIFIC REGION IN WHICH HONG KONG AND AUSTRALIA SHARE A COMMON DESTINY, THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, SAID IN SYDNEY TODAY (TUESDAY).

ADDRESSING THE SYDNEY INSTITUTE, THE GOVERNOR SAID DESPITE EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD, THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION REMAINED THE MOST PROMISING FOR THE NINETIES AND BEYOND AND BOTH HONG KONG AND AUSTRALIA STOOD TO SHARE IN THIS GROWTH.

TWO

OUTLINING THE STRONG SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC LINKS BETWEEN THE PLACES, THE GOVERNOR POINTED OUT THAT AUSTRALIA WAS NOW A SIGNIFICANT PLAYER IN HONG KONG'S FINANCIAL MARKETS AND HONG KONG WAS INCREASINGLY INVESTING IN SERVICES IN SYDNEY AND IN DARWIN'S EXPORT ZONE.

MILLION

PER

"AND TOURISM IS FLOURISHING. LAST YEAR A QUARTER OF A AUSTRALIANS VISITED HONG KONG AND CONTRIBUTED MORE TO OUR ECONOMY HEAD THAN ANYONE ELSE ON THIS SIDE OF THE PACIFIC.

"THIS COMMONALITY OF INTEREST IS DRAWING HONG KONG AUSTRALIA CLOSER TOGETHER. OUR POSITION IN ORGANISATIONS SUCH AS GATT REFLECTS THIS, THE GOVERNOR SAID.

AND

THE

/SIR DAVID