XN000022-1993-11-17 — Page 26

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1993

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EUROPEAN BUSINESSMEN SHOW KEEN INTEREST IN HK

EUROPEAN BUSINESSMEN ARE SHOWING A KEEN INTEREST IN THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AND CHINA FOR LONG-TERM INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES.

THIS HAS BEEN THE FEEDBACK FROM DELEGATES TO BUSINESS SEMINARS HELD IN FRANKFURT AND AMSTERDAM AS PART OF THE "HONG KONG *93" PROMOTION IN EUROPE ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. A THIRD SEMINAR WILL BE HELD IN PARIS ON FRIDAY.

MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE WERE AT TODAY'S SEMINAR IN AMSTERDAM'S RAI CONGRESS CENTRE AND LATER AT A LUNCHEON DURING WHICH THE CHIEF SECRETARY-DESIGNATE, MRS ANSON CHAN, GAVE A KEYNOTE ADDRESS.

SHE NOTED THAT IN A NUMBER OF KEY AREAS, THE NETHERLANDS HAD BEEN THE FIRST TO SIGN BILATERAL AGREEMENTS WITH HONG KONG WHICH WILL CONTINUE BEYOND 1997.

DUTCH COMPANIES WERE ALSO PLAYING A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT CHEK LAP PARTICULARLY IN THE FORMATION OF THE AIRPORT PLATFORM.

кок,

EMPHASISING HONG KONG'S ROLE AS THE GATEWAY TO CHINA, MRS CHAN SAID THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHINA'S ECONOMY AND MARKETS WAS HAVING THE MOST PROFOUND CONSEQUENCES NOT JUST FOR ITS OWN PEOPLE AND HONG KONG, BUT FOR THE WORLD AS A WHOLE.

SINCE ITS OPEN DOOR POLICY BEGAN

IN 1978, DUTCH EXPORTS To CHINA THROUGH HONG KONG HAVE INCREASED BY MORE THAN 1,700 PER CENT. TODAY ABOUT 40 PER CENT OF THE GOODS FLOWING BETWEEN THE NETHERLANDS AND CHINA PASS THROUGH HONG KONG.

ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE, MRS CHAN SAID IT WAS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THE INTERNATIONAL TREATY SIGNED BY CHINA AND BRITAIN RECOGNISED TWO THINGS. NOT JUST THE RETURN TO CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY IN 1997, BUT THAT HONG KONG'S SYSTEM, ITS WAY OF LIFE FOUNDED UN FREE MARKETS OPERATING WITHIN THE RULE OF LAW WOULD ALSO BE PRESERVED!

SHE SAID THE JOINT DECLARATION LAID DOWN THE OVERALL FRAMEWORK FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE AS A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION (BAR) OF CHINA, INCLUDING THE REQUIREMENT THAT THE LEGISLATURE OF THE HOND KONG SAR "SHALL BE CONSTITUTED BY ELECTIONS",

DEGREE, THE

ALTHOUGH THE BASIC LAW ELABORATED ON THIS TO SOME CURRENT SINO-BRITISH TALKS WERE CONCERNED WITH FILLING IN THE FINER DETAILS OF HOW THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE FUTURE LEGISLATURE TO BE A FULLY ELECTED BODY WAS TO BE MET.

"AS TIME IS NOT

UNLIMITED,

WE WOULD LIKE ΤΟ TALKS. AND WE HOPE VERY MUCH

SEE AN THAT AN

INTENSIFICATION OF THOSE AGREEMENT CAN BE REACHED.

HONG

"BUT ANY AGREEMENT WILL NEED TO PROVIDE FOR ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS THAT ARE OPEN, FAIR AND ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF KONG, MRS CHAN SAID.

H

/"WE BELIEVE