XN000022-1992-07-08 — Page 39

37

WEDNESDAY, JUIY 8, 1992

"THE LEVEL OF AIRPORT CHARGES AT CHEK LAP KOK WILL. IN FACT, BE LOWER THAN MANY OTHER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS.

"OUR FORECASTS FOR GROWTH IN AIR PASSENGER TRAFFIC ARE BASED ON THE BEST JUDGEMENTS WE CAN MAKE OF WHAT IS NECESSARY IN ORDER ΤΟ ATTRACT BANKING FINANCE. IT IS WRONG TO SUGGEST AS IATA HAS DONE THAT THE FORECASTS ARE TOO LOW.

"WE WELCOME PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN FACILITIES AT CHEK LAP KOK AND ORGANISATIONS WHICH WISH TO MAKE OFFERS SHOULD CONTACT THE PAA (PROVISIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY), SAID MRS CHAN.

.

MASSIVE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN HK

THE HUGE POTENTIAL AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR BRITISH HONG KONG WERE SPELT OUT BY THE HONG KONG COMMISSIONER MR JOHN YAXLEY, AT A SEMINAR IN LONDON TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

BUSINESS IN IN LONDON,

SPEAKING TO BUSINESSMEN AND INDUSTRIALISTS AT THE SEMINAR ORGANISED BY THE BRITISH AIRPORT SERVICES AND EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION AND THE UK DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR YAXLEY POINTED OUT THAT THE TERRITORY HAD A MAJOR ROLE TO PLAY IN THE OPENING UP OF CHINA AND AS A FOCUS OF ACTIVITY IN THE EAST ASIA REGION.

OF THE THE

THE SEMINAR WAS AIMED AT INFORMING BRITISH COMPANIES VAST RANGE OF PROJECTS AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES ARISING FROM MASSIVE NEW AIRPORT PROJECT AND ITS ASSOCIATED INFRASTRUCTURE.

IN HIS SPEECH, MR YAXLEY CONCENTRATED ON THE GENERAL BACKGROUND TO HONG KONG, WHICH OUTLINED THE TRADING AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN THE TERRITORY AND IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION IN A BROADER CONTEXT.

HE HIGHLIGHTED THE DRAMATIC EXPANSION IN THE ECONOMIES OF SOUTH CHINA,

INCLUDING HONG KONG AND ALSO THE EAST ASIA REGION GENERALLY, AND SAID HE FELT THE OPPORTUNITIES WHICH NOW PRESENTED THEMSELVES IN THESE TWO AREAS FOR THE UK HAD NOT YET BEEN FULLY RECOGNISED.

HONG KONG, HE SAID, WAS THE MAJOR GATEWAY TO CHINA FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD. THE TERRITORY WAS ALSO STRATEGICALLY SITUATED WITHIN THE FASTEST GROWING AREA OF THE WORLD

THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION.

→

CITING FIGURES TO SUPPORT HIS OPTIMISM FOR HONG KONG'S EXPANDING ROLE VIS-A-VIS CHINA AND VIS-A-VIS THE REGION, HE SAID: "I BELIEVE THAT FOR THE NEXT DECADE AND PROBABLY WELL BEYOND, IT IS LIKELY THAT THE ECONOMIES OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION WILL OFFER THE MOST EXCITING BUSINESS PROSPECTS IN THE WORLD.

/"HONG KONG