XN000022-1992-11-27 — Page 21

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1992

19

HK TO STRENGTHEN TRADE LOBBYING EFFORTS IN U.S.

THE GOVERNMENT IS DETERMINED TO DO A THOROUGHLY GOOD JOB IN CONVINCING THE UNITED STATES ADMINISTRATION, SENATORS AND

SENATORS AND CONGRESSMEN THAT THE MOST IMMEDIATE THREAT TO HONG KONG'S STRONG ECONOMIC FUNDAMENTALS LAY IN THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE UNITED STATES MIGHT WITHDRAW MOST FAVOURED-NATION (MEN) TRADING STATUS FROM CHINA.

}

זי

THIS WAS STATED BY THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF TRADE MR CHRISTOPHER JACKSON, TODAY (FRIDAY) WHEN HE SPOKE IN A FORUM ON HONG KONG TRADE ISSUES" ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG.

OF

EVEN

AND

MR JACKSON SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD ARGUE THAT CONDITIONING MEN WAS A HIGH-RISK STRATEGY AND THAT MEASURED MINDS STEADY HANDS MUST GUIDE THIS HIGHLY CHARGED ISSUE ΤΟ A SENSIBLE CONCLUSION, IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF ALL.

"WE ARE REVIEWING THE DETAILS OF OUR LOBBYING MESSAGE AND OUR LOBBYING RESOURCES, WE WILL STRENGTHEN BOTH AND TARGET THEM CAREFULLY.

"AND

WE WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH PRIVATE SECTOR INTERESTS, FOR THEY TOO HAVE AN IMPORTANT PART TO PLAY IN THIS EXERCISE," HE SAID.

THE TOPIC OF MR JACKSON'S TALK WAS "HONG KONG IN THE PRESENT WORLD TRADE ENVIRONMENT".

HE SAID THE WORLD TRADE ENVIRONMENT WAS GOING THROUGH A DIFFICULT PATCH WITH A LONG RECESSION AMONG MAJOR WESTERN ECONOMIES AND DIFFICULTIES STILL TO BE OVERCOME IN THE URUGUAY ROUND.

"So THE CHALLENGES

BEFORE US ARE MANY, BUT SO ARE THE

++

OPPORTUNITIES' HE SAID.

ANY

·

HE SAID HE RFLIEVED INTERNATIONAL TRADE WAS STILL GROWING,

"THE CERTAINTY IS THAT HONG KONG IS BETTER PLACED THAN ALMOST OTHER PLACE ON THIS PLANFT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FUTURE ECONOMIC

GROWTH.

"WE FACE ENORMOUS OPPORTUNITIES. LAST OF THEM, MR JACKSON SAID.

P

THE CHALLENGE IS TO MAKE THE

IN HIS SPEECH, MR JACKSON REFUTED THE COMMON NOTION THAT "HONG KONG'S BORDER WITH CHINA IS VANT SILING”. HE SAID THIS WAS AN OVER- SIMPLIFICATION.

HE FIRMLY ARGUED THAT HONG KONG'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE DRAMATIC ECONOMIC GROWTH IN SOUTHERN CHINA COULD DEST BE SAFEGUARDED BY ENSURING THAT THE BORDER REMAINS A VERY REAL ONE; THAT IT IS NOT A VANISHING BORDER.

+

"IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT TO INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CONFIDENCE THAT WE BUILD ON OUR SUCCESSFUL. DEVELOPMENTS AND RE-ENFORCE CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG'S SEPARATE ECONOMIC AND COMMERCIAL STATUS.

/"THE JOINT