XN000022-1993-12-30 — Page 8

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1993

THE UNITED STATES HAD THE LARGEST NUMBER OF REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS IN HONG KONG, WITH 182 COMPANIES, FOLLOWED BY JAPAN (88 COMPANIES) AND THE UNITED KINGDOM (81 COMPANIES).

THE MAJOR BUSINESSES OF THE REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS INCLUDED WHOLESALE, RETAIL, AND IMPORT ANT EXPORT ACTIVITIES, FOLLOWED BY TRANSPORT AND RELATED SERVICES, MANUFACTURING AND FINANCE AND BANKING.

AS REGARDS REGIONAL OFFICES, THE SURVEY SHOWED THAT JAPAN HAD THE LARGEST NUMBER, WITH A TOTAL OF 185. THE UNITED STATES (183 COMPANIES) WAS NEXT, FOLLOWED BY THE UNITED KINGDOM (102 COMPANIES), CHINA (42 COMPANIES) AND SWITZERLAND (38 COMPANIES).

TRADING WAS THE MOST COMMON ECONOMIC ACTIVITY REGIONAL OFFICES IN HONG KONG, FOLLOWED BY FINANCE AND MANUFACTURING.

PURSURD BY BANKING, AND

WHEN ASKED то GIVE VIEWS ON HONG KONG AS A REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS OR REGIONAL OFFICE, 94 PER CENT OF THE RESPONDENTS CONSIDERED HONG KONG'S BANKING AND FINANCIAL FACILITIES AS THE MOST IMPORTANT AND THE MOST FAVOURABLE FACTOR.

HONG KONG'S INFRASTRUCTURE WAS CONSIDERED FAVOURABLE BY 91 PER CENT OF THE COMPANIES. OTHER FACTORS WITH A HIGH FAVOURABLE RATING INCLUDED HONG KONG'S REGIONAL LOCATION (83 PER CENT) AND GOVERNMENT'S ECONOMIC POLICY (82 PER CENT).

ABOUT 80 PER CENT OF THE RESPONDENTS CONSIDERED THAT, COMPARED WITH THE YEAR BEFORE, THE OVERALL FAVOURABILITY OF HONG KONG AS A REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS OR REGIONAL OFFICE HAD IMPROVED OR HAD REMAINED SATISFACTORY.

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MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES REMAIN HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE

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HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SUSTAIN CONSISTENTLY HIGH LEVEL OF PRODUCTIVITY, THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF INDUSTRY, MISS DENISE YUE, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

SHE WAS SPEAKING AT A PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE FINDINGS OF THE "HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES 1993" REPORT PUBLISHED BY THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT.

MISS YUE SAID THE VALUE OF GROSS OUTPUT OF HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES INCREASED AT AN AVERAGE ANNUAL RATE OF NINE PER CENT, FROM $136.6 BILLION IN 1981 TO $324.2 BILLION IN 1991.

VALUE ADDED ROSE DURING THE SAME PERIOD AT AN AVERAGE ANNUAL RATE OF ABOUT 10 PER CENT. THE VALUE ADDED PER CAPITA IN 1991 WAS NEARLY FOUR TIMES THAT IN 1981, SHE SAID.

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REGARDING DOMESTIC EXPORTS, THE VALUE IN 1992, AT $234 BILLION, WAS MORE THAN TRIPLE THE VALUE OF $68 BILLION IN 1980.

/SHE SAID