CONFIDENTIAL
104600
MDHIAN 2574.
CROSS-BORDER TRAFFIC, CONTROL OF SMUGGLING AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, POLLUTION CONTROL AND HEALTH. THESE EXCHANGES MEAN THAT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF HONG KONG OFFICIALS HAVE FREQUENT CONTACT WITH THEIR CHINESE COUNTERPARTS. THIS IS A RELATIVELY NEW BUT IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT. SO FAR THIS YEAR, OVER 60 OFFICIAL VISITS HAVE BEEN MADE BY HONG KONG CIVIL SERVANTS TO VARIOUS
PARTS OF CHINA. I HOPE TO SEE MORE SUCH CONTACTS IN THE COMING YEAR, AND ALSO TO SEE MORE CHINESE OFFICIALS VISITING HONG KONG.
100. WE NEED ALSO TO MAKE MEMBERS OF OUR CIVIL SERVICE BETTER- INFORMED ABOUT CHINA. WE WILL, THEREFORE, DEVELOP OUR PRESENT CHINA TRAINING PROGRAMME SO THAT CIVIL SERVANTS, AT DIFFERENT LEVELS AND WITH DIFFERENT RESPONSIBILITIES, CAN BECOME MORE FAMILIAR WITH CHINA AND THE WAY IN WHICH CHINA OPERATES. I BELIEVE THAT GREATER FAMILIARITY, AND MORE PERSONAL CONTACT AT ALL LEVELS, WILL HELP US TO HANDLE DIFFERENCES OF OPINION, WHEN THEY OCCUR, IN A MORE CONSTRUCTIVE WAY.
101. ABOVE ALL, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO OVERSTATE THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA. CHINA IS OUR LARGEST TRADING PARTNER, AND A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO OUR GDP GROWTH. THE FLOW OF CAPITAL, TECHNOLOGY AND COMMERCIAL EXPERTISE FROM HONG KONG INTO GUANGDONG, AS WELL AS OTHER PARTS OF SOUTHERN CHINA IS A LONG-TERM FEATURE OF OUR ECONOMY. IN 1989, NO LESS THAT 14,000 HONG KONG-BASED FACTORIES EMPLOYED SOME TWO MILLION WORKERS IN
SOUTHERN CHINA. THIS HAS NOT ONLY STRENGTHENED OUR PRODUCTION BASE, BUT HAS ALSO PLAYED AN IMPORTANT PART IN BRINGING ABOUT AN AVERAGE ANNUAL INCREASE IN OUR TOTAL CHINA TRADE OF 30 PERCENT OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS. THE SOUTHERN COASTAL BELT OF CHINA, AND THE PEARL RIVER DELTA IN PARTICULAR, IS SURELY SET TO BE AN AREA OF SUBSTANTIAL ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THE NEXT TWO OR THREE DECADES. HONG KONG MUST BE READY AND ABLE TO PLAY A MAJOR PART IN THIS
PROCESS.
WILSON
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