TNAG-1845-FCO40-2620-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 121

1989-03-23 13:59 G.1.S

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to You for 32 complexity of it. Obviously it is something we shall nform ourselves during our visit to Hong Kong in a month's time. Sic David. just a couple final areas if I may

touch on and it would very useful to have your observation. While we all are concerned do our best for Hong Kong, we are here sitting in London and we

And we are interested in our Own nation's longer-term interests in what promiseg to be one

the most dynamic and prosperous region of the planets in the 1990s and the beginning of the millennium. We've heard it has been suggested by Some businessmen that because we have the task. the duty and the head to ensure the smooth transition. it may be that Britain' 3 business interest isn't getting the punch and push the way it needs. It that proposition you recognise and accept in any way or do you think that's unfounded?

next

a

my

of

open

economic

Governor: It may be something which, Chairman. you wish to ask the Senior British Trade Commissioner. in Hong Kong when you go there. From

perspective, Hong Kong perspective, there is a

of lot

British economic activity in Hong Kong. There is a lot of

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long-term British investment in Hong Kong, there's a lot of management by British people very successful companies in Hong Kong. It is of course a .totally

and in which anybody can compete.

Hong Kong welcomes everybody from wherever they come to compete. And we include in that interest from the United Kingdom. We'd welcome that. My general impression is that British business has rather more auccessful recently than it was in the medium-term past. There has been greater interest in Hong Kong. greater willingness

and to seize Hong Kong to look for opportunities, and to

come

to Opportunities.

system

very

would

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Well. that's very encouraging. Finally. Sic David. am trying to tempt you to do a little futurology. and ask you to out into the future. Give us a flavour. if you care to do 30. how YOU sed the position of this fabulous city of Hong Kong. which I think the views of many of us one of miracles of the 20th century. How You see that position. economically and socially. in seven-and-a-half- years from now in 1997 and indeed how you see £t 10 years after that What sort of vision do you have when your mind has to turn to kind of thing? .....

that

Governor:

question

Chairman. in Some waye that's

the

hardest

far

the committee has asked me this afternoon. looking that into the future. It might be quite instructive as a preliminary look back. If one looks back for instance 10 years in Hong Kong 1979

and at what has changed since then. it is fundamental most dramatic. Nineteen seventy-nine, if I remember right. there

first rail link to China. This time in 1979 the

no direct air links went in April 1979. There was there were very few contacts with China. Trade with China was minimal. I think. ..our, Mass Transit Railway first started in 1979 and takes about two million passengers a year. I can go on like this.

no

direct

train

7

with

and

way

through- China.

NOW

it....

the

32