TNAG-1717-FCO40-2397-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1988 — Page 153

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Ching?

So what has

changed in our relationship with

Undoubtedly the relationship is much closer now

than it was, say, ten years ago. In that short time the volume of business between Hong Kong and China has grown enormously. A fifty-fold increase in travellers crossing the border. A vast increase in trade, so that we are now each other's largest trading partners, accounting for 25%

trade. of each other's total international

A massive

growth of Investment, by Hong Kong in China, and by Ching

in Hong Kong.

To cope with this business,

we have developed

channels of communication with China in keeping with those that exist between any two neighbouring places with major dealings and interests in common. Times have changed dramatically since the sixties and seventies, when links were few, China was mysterious to many people in Hong Kong, and Hong Kong was similarly unknown to Chinese managers and officials. And the way in which those links operate have changed too. Gone are, the days when Hong Kong's contacts

exclusive

with Ching were the preserve of fatom

preserve of faction Off diplomats. The experience, which is spreading throughout the community our mainland of living with and doing business with neighbour has permeated through the administration also. Police, customs and immigration officers have contact with Many other government their opposite numbers in China.

departments now know their counterparts in Ching through