XN000022-1994-11-21 — Page 2

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1994

HK-VIETNAM TO STRENGTHEN

TRADE AND ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIPS: STI

* * * * *

THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR CHAU TAK-HAY, TODAY (MONDAY) HAD AN INTENSIVE ROUND OF DISCUSSIONS WITH VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ON WAYS

BROADEN

TRADE AND STRENGTHEN

TO

ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND VIETNAM.

AND

THE DISCUSSIONS INVOLVED SENIOR VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS INCLUDING THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, MR TRAN DUC LUONG; THE MINISTER OF TRADE, MR LE VAN TRIET; AND OFFICIALS OF THE STATE PLANNING COMMITTEE AND THE STATE COMMITTEE FOR CO-OPERATION AND INVESTMENT.

DURING THE MEETINGS, BOTH SIDES AGREED THERE WERE MUTUAL BENEFITS TO

GAINED FROM DEVELOPING CLOSER TRADE AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS.

BE

THIS COULD BE ACHIEVED THROUGH A VARIETY OF WAYS INCLUDING INCREASING THE NUMBER OF VISITS, IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, OF OFFICIALS FROM THE HONG KONG AND VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENTS.

MR CHAU SAID THAT HONG KONG WAS PREPARED TO FACILITATE VISITS BY VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SO THEY COULD SEE HOW THE HONG KONG

ARRIVED AT DECISIONS RELATING TO GOVERNMENT

A RANGE OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES SUCH AS THE DEVELOPMENT OF FINANCIAL MARKETS, TOURISM, MANPOWER TRAINING AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT,

"FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD TODAY, THERE IS GREAT POTENTIAL FOR HONG KONG ENTREPRENEURS TO HELP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF VIETNAM.

"WE ARE ALREADY THE TOP INVESTOR IN VIETNAM IN TERMS OF THE HE NUMBER OF PROJECTS APPROVED, BUT THERE IS MORE THAT CAN BE DONE," SAID.

"AT OUR MEETINGS, THE VIETNAMESE EMPHASISED THAT THEY WERE LOOKING TO HONG KONG ENTREPRENEURS FOR FURTHER INVESTMENT."

CHAU MR

INTERFERE

DECISIONS

PROVIDED

ENVIRONMENT.

THE

DID KONG GOVERNMENT

NOT

STRESSED THAT THE HONG IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS OF BUSINESS, COMMERCIAL WERE LEFT FOR BUSINESS TO TAKE, ALTHOUGH THE GOVERNMENT THE RIGHT INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE BUSINESS-FRIENDLY

SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY ALSO RAISED THE CURRENT ISSUE OF VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS AND HOPED COULD BE FOUND QUICKLY.

TERMS

A

IN GENERAL SOLUTION

"A RAPID RESOLUTION TO THE VIETNAMESE MIGRANT ISSUE WOULD ENCOURAGE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF ECONOMIC AS WELL AS TOURISM RELATIONS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND VIETNAM," MR CHAU ADDED.

/THE SECRETARY