XN000022-1994-10-18 — Page 3

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1994

WE DISCUSSED

VERY

THE THE ENTIRE PRE-

THE ROLE THAT HONG KONG CAN PLAY IN STRONG AND SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH THAT WE WILL SEE IN EAST ASIAN REGION IN THE COMING DECADE. HONG KONG IS NOT ONLY A EMINENT GATEWAY TO CHINA, FOR DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA, BUT WE ARE ALSO EAST ASIAN AN EXCELLENT SPRINGBOARD TO DOING BUSINESS IN THE ENTIRE REGION.

WE

-

HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, RECENTLY SEEN A GOOD DEAL OF INTEREST IN USING HONG KONG AS A BASE FOR EXPLOITING THE VIETNAMESE MARKET, AND COUNTRIES OF COURSE THERE ARE ALSO VERY GOOD BUSINESS PROSPECT(S) IN LIKE MALAYSIA, INDONESIA, SINGAPORE AND THAILAND.

AND OF COURSE HONG KONG IS ALSO AN EXCELLENT CONSUMER OF AMERICAN

AND SERVICES. BUSINESSES

WE HAVE OVER 900 UNITED STATES COMPANIES IN HONG KONG, OF WHICH 180 HAVE DECIDED TO USE HONG KONG A BASIS FOR THEIR FAR EAST HEADQUARTERS.

AS

THE AMERICAN CHAMBER

MOST OF COMMERCE IN HONG KONG IS THE ACTIVE IN HONG KONG, AND THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY NOW IN HONG KONG NUMBERS SOME 30,000, AND THEY PLAY A VERY ACTIVE ROLE, NOT ONLY IN THE COMMERCIAL LIFE OF HONG KONG, BUT IN THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL LIFE HONG KONG. AND WE WISH TO SEE THOSE TIES CLEARLY CONTINUING.

OF

TO THE RELATIONSHIP ACCORDING

CHINESE AND QUESTION:

BETWEEN

DO BRITISH

CONTINUB YOU THINK HONG KONG WOULD GOVERNMENTS, INAUDIBLE CENTER OF, INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF CENTER?

THE

ΤΟ

BE

MRS ANSON

CHAN: YES,

WE ARE ALREADY

A

AND

AND

VERY IMPORTANT REGIONAL FINANCIAL CENTER, AND WITH THE TRANSFORMATION IN OUR ECONOMY, WITH THE MOVE, STEADY MOVE FROM THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY TO THE SERVICES

AND FINANCIAL

KONG SERVICES, WE SEE HONG

REMAINING BUSINESS

TO BUILD ON CONTINUING

ITS ROLE AS A PRE-EMINENT BUSINESS - AND FINANCIAL SERVICES CENTER.

CAN

BEST,

AS A TECHNICAL

WE ALSO FEEL THAT DEVELOPING IN THAT WAY, HONG KONG CAN KONG SERVE CHINA. CHINA WILL CONTINUE TO USE HONG BEST

AND MARKETING

SERVICES CENTER,

THE WE HAVE THE SKILLS, KNOW-HOW, THE JOINT VENTURE PARTNERS, AND OF COURSE THE CULTURAL LINKS TO ENABLE THOSE WHO WISH TO DO BUSINESS IN CHINA TO DO SO AND TO DO SO IN A MOST SUCCESSFUL WAY!

OF

OUR

FASH

COURSE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA HAVE BEEN EASY (SIC) AND PARTICULARLY HAVE NOT BEEN EASY IN THE LAST ΤΟ THREE YEARS. BUT WE WISH VERY MUCH TO INTENSIFY WITH THE CHINESE, AND THERE IS A REAL NEED TO COOPERATE, ARE MANY TRANSITIONAL ISSUES. THAT NEED TO BE SORTED OUT AND 1997.

NOT

TWO

COOPERATION BECAUSE THERE BETWEEN NOW

THE FOREIGN SECRETARY, MR DOUGLAS HURD, HAS HAD A GOOD MEETING WITH

VERY MUCH HIS COUNTERPART, MR QIAN QICHEN IN SEPTEMBER, AND WE HOPE THAT IN THE COMING WEEKS AND MONTHS WE WILL BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN WITH THE CHINESE TO DISCUSS HOW THE TWO SIDES

INTENSIFY CAN COOPERATION ON PRACTICAL ISSUES AND ISSUES THAT AFFECT THE ECONOMY AND THE EVERYDAY LIFE OF HONG KONG PEOPLE.

/QUESTION