XN000022-1992-07-23 — Page 10

THURSDAY, JULY 23, 1992

MR

MAK ADVISED EMPLOYERS NOT TO DEDUCT ATTENDANCE BONUS FROM EMPLOYEES WHO CANNOT TURN UP FOR WORK BECAUSE OF TYPHOON OR OTHER BAD WEATHER CONDITIONS.

"LABOUR DEPARTMENT OFFICERS ARF ALWAYS READY TO ASSIST EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES TO DRAW UP AGREEMENT ON ARRANGEMENTS FOR WORK DURING TYPHOON AND OTHER HAD WEATHER CONDITIONS, MR MAK SAID,

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GROWING TIES BETWEEN HK AND HIROSHIMA

HONG KONG AND HIROSHIMA ARK BOTH GREAT ASIAN CITIES WHICH HAVE WORKED MIRACLES IN THE PAST DECADES, HONG KONG'S PRINCIPAL KCONOMIC AND TRADE REPRESENTATIVE IN JAPAN, MR DAVID LAN, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

ADDRESSING A DINNER RECEPTION HOSTED BY THE GOVERNOR OP HIROSHIMA TO MARK THE INAUGURATION OF DIRECT FLIGHTS BETWEEN THE PREFECTURE AND HONG KONG, MR LAN SAID HIROSHIMA HAD CREATED WONDERS THROUGH ITS SUCCESS IN RECONSTRUCTING A THRIVING MODERN CITY.

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DURING THE SAME PERIOD, HONG KONG HAD BUILT UP A WELL-KNOWN FREE ECONOMY THAT HAD BROUGHT WEALTH AND PROSPERITY NOT ONLY ΤΟ ITSELF, BUT ALSO TO ITS TRADING PARTNERS, HE SAID.

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MR LAN ALSO OUTLINED TO AN AUDIENCE OF 500 GUESTS THE LONG HISTORY OF AMICABLE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JAPAN AND HONG KONG.

"JAPAN IS HONG KONG'S LARGEST OVERSEAS INVESTOR IN THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY, AND HONG KONG'S THIRD LARGEST TRADING PARTNER WITH AN ANNUAL TRADING VOLUME OF US$23 KILLION.

"HONG KONG 18 ALSO JAPAN'S FIFTH LARGEST EXPORT MARKET, ACCOUNTING FOR 5.2 PER CENT OF JAPAN'S TOTAL EXPORT.

"IN

ADDITION, MORE THAN ONE-THIRD OF JAPAN'S EXPORTS TO CHINA PASSES THROUGH HONG KONG, HE SAID.

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MR LAN POINTED OUT THAT MORE THAN 1 MILLION JAPANESE TOURISTS, MANY FROM THE HIROSHIMA PREFECTURE, VISITED HONG KONG KVRRY YEAR.

"IN ADDITION, THERE ARE ABOUT 20,000 JAPANESE NATIONALS LIVING AND WORKING IN HONG KONG."

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WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DIRECT FLIGHTS, MR LAN SAID MORE TOURISTS AND BUSINESSMEN COULD BE EXPECTED TO TRAVEL BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES.

"THIS COULD ALSO HELP BRING MORE CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND TECHNOLOGY FROM HIROSHIMA ΤΟ HONG KONG AND ALSO MORE TRADE OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES.

/MR LAN

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