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046573 MDADAN 0829
UR EXPORTS ROUGHLY KEEPING IN LINE WITH THE RISE IN LEVELS OF
INFLATION. SOME REFERENCE TO OUR HOPES AND EXPECTATIONS OF AN INCREASE IN TRADE IN THIS MARKET, MORE IN LINE WITH OUR INCREASED SALES TO, SAY, JAPAN, TAIWAN OR EUROPE MIGHT BE IN ORDER, STRESSING THE COMPETITIVENESS OF BRITISH FIRMS AS PROVEN BY OUR SUCCESSES IN OTHER MARKETS, AND OUR HOPES THAT BOTH IN THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS IN HONG KONG, BRITISH SUPPLIERS MIGHT ACHIEVE MORE THAN THEIR CURRENT LEVELS OF SUCCESS.
6. TO DISPUTE FREQUENTLY HEARD CRITICISMS THAT BRITISH COMPANIES ARE NOT INVESTING IN HONG KONG, MR LILLEY MIGHT LIKE TO MENTION THE MAJOR BRITISH PRESENCE, MUCH OF IT QUITE RECENT, IN EG FINANCIAL SERVICES OR THE RETAIL TRADE. WE MAY NOT HAVE THE
RECENT INVESTMENT IN MANUFACTURING IN HONG KONG TO MATCH THAT OF THE UNITED STATES OR JAPAN, BUT MANUFACTURING IN HONG KONG, AS IN BRITAIN, IS NOT THE BE ALL AND END ALL OF THE ECONOMY: OUR STRENGTHS IN HONG KONG ARE THERE FOR ALL TO SEE IN THE NUMBER OF CONSULTANTS, MERCHANT BANKERS, INSURANCE COMPANIES OR RETAIL OUTLETS. ANY REFERENCE TO SUCCESS FOR BRITISH FIRMS MIGHT CONTAIN
A SALUTE TO CABLE AND WIRELESS WHO GIVE HONG KONG A TELEPHONE SERVICE SECOND TO NONE, AND WHOSE POSITION AT LEAST SO FAR AS THEIR MONOPOLY IS CONCERNED, MAY COME UNDER THREAT.
MR LILLEY WILL ALSO NO DOUBT WISH TO MENTION HIS HOPE THAT
BRITISH COMPANIES ARE SUCCESSFUL CONTENDERS FOR PROJECT WORK AND
ABOVE ALL FOR THAT CONNECTED WITH THE AIRPORT.
8. HE ALSO MIGHT WISH TO DISPUTE THE VIEW, OFTEN HEARD IN HONG KONG GOVERNMENT CIRCLES, THAT BRITISH COMPANIES MORE THAN THOSE FROM ELSEWHERE ARE PRONE TO TAKE A SHORT-TERM VIEW OF HONG KONG AND THINK THAT EVERYTHING WILL END IN 1997. THERE IS EVERY REASON TO ASSERT THAT BRITISH FIRMS, NO LESS THAN THOSE FROM ELSEWHERE, ARE HERE TO STAY.
9. FINALLY, MR LILLEY WILL NO DOUBT WISH TO PAY A TRIBUTE TO THE BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, A DAVID COMPARED WITH THE GOLIATH OF THE HONG KONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND THE TWO WILL CO- SPONSOR THE LUNCHEON EVENT AT WHICH HE WILL SPEAK, BUT ONE THAT IS INCREASINGLY FINDING ITS FEET, AND FINDING A ROLE (AS THEIR MANY LETTERS CRITICAL OF THE PASSPORT SCHEME TO MR PETER LLOYD, PUSS, AT THE HOME OFFICE, WILL TESTIFY).
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