XN000022-1992-10-14 — Page 31

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1992

"WE WERE THE FIRST IN ASIA TO IMPLEMENT THE NAVTEX SERVICE, COVERING SOUTH CHINA SEA AND PROVIDING MARITIME SAFETY INFORMATION, METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION AND A WARNING AND DISTRESS ALERTS.

"WE WERE ALSO THE FIRST ΤΟ COMMISSION A SATELLITE TRACKING STATION IN THE COSPAS-SARSAT PROGRAMME FOR DETECTING EMERGENCY POSITION INDICATOR RADIO BEACONS WITHIN A 4,000-KILOMETRE RADIUS, MILLER SAID.

"

MR

THE GMDEE PROVIDE WORLDWIDE TWO-WAY RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN MERCHANT SHIPS AND SEARCH AND RESCUE AUTHORITIES ASHORE, MAKING RAPID ALERTING AND RESPONSE TO SHIPS IN DISTRESS POSSIBLE.

AND

THIS IS ACHIEVED BY MEANS OF SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS ADVANCED LAND-BASED AND SHIP-BORNE RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT, AND ALSO PROVIDES FOR THE DISSEMINATION OF SAFETY INFORMATION, INCLUDING NAVIGATION AND STORM WARNINGS, TO SHIPS AT SEA. DISTRESS SIGNALS ARE ACTIVATED MANUALLY, BUT WOULD ALSO BE TRANSMITTED AUTOMATICALLY FROM ANY SHIP WHICH SANK.

יז

'THE RAPID ALERTING OF SEARCH AND RESCUE AUTHORITIES WILL FACILITATE MORE RAPID DEPLOYMENT OF RESCUE SERVICES AND THEREBY ENHANCE THE SAFETY OF LIFE AT SEA, MR MILLER SAID.

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THE SHIPOWNERS ARE MR ANDREW CHEN OF GRAND SEATRADE SHIPPING AGENCIES LTD, MR CHEUNG KING-WA OF HONG KONG MING WAH SHIPPING CO LTD, MR ROBERT A. HO FAIRMONT SHIPPING (HK) LTD, MR STEVE HSU OF OAK STEAMSHIP CO LTD, MR A.T. RADICA OF ORIENT SHIP MANAGEMENT LTD, MR FRANK W.K. TSAO OF INTERNATIONAL MARITIME CARRIERS LTD, MR

C.C. TUNG OF ISLAND NAVIGATION CORPORATION INTERNATIONAL LTD, MR FERNANDO FOK OF WAH KWONG & CO (HK) LTD, CAPTAIN W.A. CODRINGTON OF WORLDWIDE SHIPPING AGENCY LTD AND MR MICHAEL FARLIE OF HONG KONG SHIPOWNERS ASSOCIATION.

MR FARLIE SAID: "WE CAN BE JUSTIFIABLY PROUD OF THE MARITIME RESCUE CO-ORDINATION CENTRE OF THE MARINE DEPARTMENT.

"ITS EQUIPMENT IS THE VERY BEST AND ITS STAFF ARE TOP CALIBRE. THEY HAVE ALREADY EARNED A WELL DESERVED REPUTATION FOR SPEED AND EFFICIENCY IN SEVERAL READL LIFE OR DEATH SITUATIONS."

0

GOVT OFFICIALS TO VISIT CHINA

*

WILL BE VISITING

MR DOMINIC S.W. WONG, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, PEKING AND SHANGHAI FROM OCTOBER 18 TO 27 AT THE INVITATION OF CHINA'S STATE EDUCATION COMMISSION. MR WONG WILL SEVEN OTHER HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

BE

ACCOMPANIED BY

THIS IS ONE OF A SERIES OF VISITS WHICH STARTED A FEW YEARS AGO FOR GENERAL FAMILIARISATION.

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