TNAG-2032-FCO40-2895-Visit-by-Douglas-Hurd--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Co-1990 — Page 75

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HONG KONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE - 15 JANUARY 1990

FOREIGN SECRETARY (CORTDY:

Hong Kong

just as a gateway to China, although that is important.

buys more goods per bead from the United Kingdom than from the rest

of the European Community put together but there is no God-given

reason why that should be so. The work, therefore, of Peter Heap,

the Senior British Trade Commissioner, and 16 staff is crucial and

I am making a point tomorrow of spending a good deal of time with

him, seeing his operation, meeting representatives of the business

community here. We want to encourage the British Government to

play the fullest possible part in Hong Kong's future and we are

determined to build up a greater sbare of this important market.

These interests will continue It cannot be a short-term strategy.

well beyond 1997, 80 we are working urgently on plans to build up

and establish a substantial representation after 1997 to match our

continuing massive interest in the Territory.

I know that the

British Council also have plans to extend their proseuce here.

Hong Kong is also today a significant force in the

international financial world; it is a focus of international

investment. Recent investment decisions by British,

Japanese

and

American firms, the keen international interest in the amazing new

airport project, in the cable TV development, these are all

successes both of international confidence in the future of Hong

Kong. Why? For many reasons, but I suppose mainly because Hong

Kong is the symbol - the epitome

of a free-market economy.

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