TNAG-1873-FCO40-2661-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1989 — Page 107

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

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27.

When being asked whether a foreign investor

coming to China could make use of the adjustment centre to

convert its foreign currency into Renminbi for buying land

at the auctions, the representative of the foreign

exchange adjustment centre said that unless the foreign investor had set up a legal entity (corporation) in

Shenzhen and obtained approval from SAEC, he could not

engage in foreign exchange trading in the centre.

Activities of foreign banks

28.

Mr Ren explained that activities of foreign

banks in Shenzhen were highly restricted. They could only engage in wholesale banking activities involving

transactions denominated in foreign currencies. Since

they were supposed to have brought in foreign exchange.

from outside to do business in China, they were not allowed to take local Renminbi deposits. While they were

allowed to finance export trade of both foreign or Chinese

enterprises, the financing of import trade encountered

their clients had to be firms with

more restrictions

-

foreign interests or Chinese enterprises which had borrowed foreign exchange from them. All these restrictions aimed at taking advantage of the foreign investment brought by foreign banks, but avoiding the possibility of their competing with local Chinese banks in

core banking business.

Review and prospects

29.

Behind the scene of rapid growth and development, there has been much debate among the Chinese leaders concerning the value and contribution of the SSEZ to China. In the early 1980s when the SSEZ was set up, it was thought that the SSEZ could serve as a model for economic development in China. But by around 1985 when the performance of the SSEZ was under strong criticism,

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