XN000022-1996-10-08 — Page 6

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Apart from reporting details of their visits, the young delegates shared with Commission members their views and observations on a number of social issues, such as the political system, education and youth work of the countries they visited.

Full reports on the visits have been prepared by the delegates and presented to the Commission.

"The Commission notes that as the International Youth Exchange Programme is organised on a bilateral and reciprocal basis, young people from Britain and Germany will also visit Hong Kong next year.

"To provide more opportunities for local youngsters to broaden their outlook and to enrich their experience, the Commission has agreed that more reciprocal visits of this nature should be organised with other countries in the future," the spokesman said.

An informal reception was held today for the delegates and members of the Commission to exchange views on the visits.

End

Volume and price movements of external trade in July

In the first seven months of 1996, the volume of re-exports increased by 7.9% over the same period last year, while the volume of domestic exports decreased by 7.9%, according to the statistics released today (Tuesday) by the Census and Statistics Department.

Taking re-exports and domestic exports together, the volume of total exports increased by 5.1%. Meanwhile, imports increased by 4.2% in volume.

Comparing July 1996 with July 1995, the volume of re-exports increased by 13%, while that of domestic exports decreased by 6%. Taken together, the volume of total exports increased by 9.4%. The volume of imports increased by 6.7%.

The growth in the volume of trade is derived from the growth in trade value with the effect of price changes discounted.