XN000022-1993-09-30+10-01 — Page 5

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1993

"THE TDS REVIEW

IMPLICATIONS WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT

DR PUN SAID. FUTURE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG,

ON THE

BE

"THERE ARE MANY ASPECTS WHICH MAY BE OF CONCERN TO INDIVIDUALS,

PUBLIC VIEWS WOULD BUSINESS CONCERNS AND COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS. USEFUL IN HELPING GOVERNMENT FINALISE THE STRATEGY FORMULATION.

"THEIR

PATTERNS STRATEGY PROCESS.

Tr

SUGGESTIONS ON THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTIONS

PARTICULAR

OF HONG KONG OR COMMENTS ON REVIEW WOULD ALSO PROVIDE IMPORTANT INPUTS

AND

ASPECTS

TO THE

OF

THE STUDY

BE MODIFIED AND FOLLOWING A

HE SAID PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS WOULD BROUGHT TOGETHER TO FORM PREFERRED OPTIONS FOR THE TDS THREE-MONTH PUBLIC CONSULTATION PERIOD.

OF

"THE

AIM IS TO COMPLETE THE TDS REVIEW EXERCISE BY THE NEXT YEAR, HE SAID.

||

MIDDLE

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE INVITED TO FORWARD THEIR VIEWS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS TO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT BEFORE THE END OF DECEMBER THIS YEAR.

TDS

0

HK COMMITTED TO FREE TRADE

FREE HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC SUCCESS IS DUE TO ITS COMMITMENT TO

THE

SECRETARY, FINANCIAL

MR HAMISH MACLEOD, SAID TODAY

TRADE, (THURSDAY, U.S. TIME).

SPEAKING

COUNCIL

AT THE LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE WORLD AFFAIRS OF PHILADELPHIA IN THE UNITED STATES, HE NOTED THAT HONG KONG AND THE U.S. SHARED THE SAME COMMITMENT TO FREE TRADE AND THE SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF THE URUGUAY ROUND WOULD BE VITAL FOR HONG KONG, THE U.S. AND THE WORLD.

THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE PRESENTED A MAJOR OPPORTUNITY FOR AMERICAN BUSINESSMEN,

"HONG

IMPORTS MORE

U.S. GOODS PER

ASIA-PACIFIC

KONG

CAPITA COUNTRIES. IN TOTAL, HONG KONG IMPORTED US$5 BILLION WORTH FROM USA IN 1992," HE SAID.

THAN MOST OF GOODS

FURTHERMORE, ABOUT 70 PER CENT OF AMERICAN FIRMS WITH FAR EAST HEADQUARTERS HAVE THEM IN HONG KONG.

"IT IS ALSO INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT MORE THAN 30 PER CENT U.S. EXPORTS TO CHINA PASS THROUGH HONG KONG," HE ADDED.

OF

LOOKING AHEAD, MR MACLEOD BELIEVED THAT THE STRENGTH KONG'S ECONOMY WOULD CONTINUE.

OF HONG

WERE HE SAID,

HONG THE REASONS FOR THIS OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK,

STRONG ECONOMIC

STRONG FOREIGN CURRENCY KONG'S

FUNDAMENTALS; ITS

NEW AIRPORT AND THE MASSIVE INVESTMENT IN THE RESERVES SITUATION;

POLICY RELATED

OF PROJECTS, AND

GOVERNMENT'S THE CONTINUATION OF MINIMUM INTERFERENCE AND MAXIMUM SUPPORT.

/HOWEVER, HE