XN000022-1992-06-09 — Page 10

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TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 1992

HK'S ROLE AS A REGIONAL CENTRE WILL BECOME MORE PROMINENT: STI

* *

THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR T.H. CHAU, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY) HE IS CONFIDENT THAT HONG KONG'S ROLE AS A REGIONAL CENTRE WILL BECOME EVEN MORE PROMINENT IN THE YEARS AHEAD.

THE

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE ASIAN REGIONAL ASIA HEADQUARTERS OF DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, MR CHAU SAID THE PACIFIC REGION COMPRISED SOME OF THE FASTEST GROWING ECONOMIES IN WORLD AND HONG KONG OCCUPIED A PIVOTAL POSITION AT THE CENTRE OF REGION.

THIS

MR CHAU SAID A RECENT SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT SHOWED THAT MORE THAN 600 FOREIGN COMPANIES THEIR REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS IN HONG KONG WHILE ANOTHER COMPANIES HAD ESTABLISHED REGIONAL OFFICES IN THE TERRITORY.

HAD

280

LOCATED FOREIGN

AN AVERAGE

OPENED OF 21 NEW REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS WERE YEAR BETWEEN 1980 AND 1984.

EACH

THE AVERAGE

YEARLY NUMBER INCREASED TO 53 BETWEEN

1985

AND

1990.

AND

THE SURVEY ALSO SHOWS THAT HONG KONG'S GOOD TRANSPORTATION COMMUNICATION FACILITIES, ITS EFFICIENT BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES, AND ITS STABLE AND LOW CORPORATE TAX STRUCTURE ARE RATED AS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS UNDERPINNING HONG KONG'S ROLE AS A REGIONAL CENTRE, MR CHAU SAID.

DESCRIBED DIGITAL'S DECISION TO SET UP ITS HONG KONG AS A STRONG VOTE OF IN

HE HEADQUARTERS KONG'S FUTURE.

NEW

CONFIDENCE

IN

REGIONAL HONG

AN

"DIGITAL'S SUCCESS AND ITS DECISION TO BASE ITS ASIAN REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS HERE REFLECT CLEARLY THE FACT THAT HONG KONG PROVIDES EXCELLENT ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS TO PROSPER," MR CHAU SAID.

"THEY ALSO REINFORCE OUR CONVICTION THAT HONG KONG HAS MUCH OFFER AS AN IMPORTANT TRADE, FINANCIAL, TRANSPORTATION TELECOMMUNICATIONS HUB IN THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION,

.

HE SAID.

ΤΟ AND

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