CONFIDENTIAL
MRB. 02PA
1.
Governor's Visit to Shenzhen
3 March, 1988
The Governor visited Shenzhen on 3 March 1988, invited
by the Mayor, Li Hao, but instigated by our side. Secretary for Transport (Michael Leung), Deputy Political Adviser (Bob Peirce), Private Secretary (Richard Hoare) and an interpreter (Josephine Ho) accompanied him.
Programme
2.
The party left from the China Ferry Terminal at 9.00 a.m. by special hovercraft to Shekou, accompanied by Yuan Geng, the head of the China Merchants Company. We were met at Shekou by a Vice Mayor of Shenzhen, Li Guangzhen, and the Director of the Shenzhen Foreign Affairs Office, Zu Guozhen. We then visited a float glass factory (American joint venture), Chiwan port and the Nanhai Hotel (Hong Kong management).
3.
The party left Shekou shortly after 11.00 a.m. and visited a garment factory, a furniture factory, and part of the future Shenzhen/Canton superhighway (all Hong Kong joint ventures). After lunch and one and a half hours of talks with the Mayor, we saw the Shenzhen Industrial Exhibition Hall and the International Trade Building before crossing the border at
Man Kam To at 5.00 p.m.
Impressions
4.
There are
A great deal has been done at Shekou and Shenzhen, especially since the Governor last visited in 1981. now a very large number of enterprises operating. Li Guangzhen gave a figure of 5,517 "contracts and agreements with foreign companies", 5,294 (96%) of them with Hong Kong participation. He claimed that Hong Kong accounted for 72% of all the external
investment in Shenzhen.
CONFIDENTIAL
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