XN000022-1996-04-26 — Page 10

There is not, actually, all that much evidence that politics are what drive trade flows or shares of trade in China. But leaders from every country fly around the world and sign letters of intent and memorandum of understanding and then it is left for you guys and ladies, to be politically correct - to try to turn those letters of intent and memorandum of understanding into real figures on a balance sheet. And that, as you know, is a more difficult job than the one that politicians have.

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So, if I hope anything it is that the improvement of relations between China and other countries will help to create a better atmosphere for the debate on trade between China and the United States but I doubt whether recent events are very profound.

End

Improvements to Employees' Compensation Ordinance proposed

The Government proposes to introduce a number of improvements to the Employees' Compensation Ordinance, including the extension of the Certificate System for determining the amount of compensation to all cases involving permanent incapacity, as well as the repeal of the Agreement System.

The proposals have been endorsed by the Governor-in-Council and details are contained in the Employees' Compensation (Amendment) Bill 1996 gazetted today (Friday).

A Government spokesman explained that under the existing provisions, there were two parallel systems for determining the amounts of compensation for permanent incapacity.

"For cases where the loss of earning capacity is not more than five percent, the amount is assessed and certified by the Commissioner for Labour (Certificate System); and for those where the loss of earning capacity is over five percent, the amount is agreed between the employer and the employee subject to the minimum level provided by the law (Agreement System).

"For cases settled by certificate, the Labour Department has pledged to issue a certificate within three weeks of the assessment of the loss of earning capacity by an assessment board.

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