ENG-1998 — Page 155

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

The HKSAR has participated in the Negotiating Group on the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) as an observer since September 1997. The MAI, which is being negotiated among OECD members, aims to set high standards for treatment and protection of international investment. The observership enables the HKSAR to have a better understanding of the on-going negotiations before deciding whether or not to sign onto the MAI.

Hong Kong Trade Development Council

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC) was established in 1966 as Hong Kong's statutory body responsible for promoting and expanding Hong Kong's trade with the world. It also promotes Hong Kong's image as a trading partner and international hub for business.

With a network of 51 offices in 34 countries and regions, plus an award-winning interactive Web Site on the Internet, the TDC serves as the global marketing arm of Hong Kong's manufacturers and service providers.

Each year, the TDC organises more than 300 events around the world, promoting Hong Kong's products and services. It provides a wealth of market intelligence and economic analysis to Hong Kong companies, publishes more than 20 trade magazines and dozens of supplements which are distributed globally to promote sourcing of products and services from Hong Kong. The TDC also organises major international trade fairs.

Since mid-1997, when the TDC completed an extension more than doubling the capacity of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (CEC), it has increased to 20 its annual portfolio of trade fairs. Existing fairs have also been expanded and upgraded. In fiscal year 1997/1998, TDC fairs attracted 8 300 exhibitors (3 000 from overseas) and 1.2 million visitors, including 86 000 overseas buyers.

During 1998, the TDC restructured its product promotion division, giving it a stronger industry-based focus and bringing it closer to the market development needs of individual product categories and new industries. At a time when commerce is becoming more globalised, this approach enables the TDC to promote products on a more global basis, industry by industry. The council's network of offices, meanwhile, provides essential input on a geographical basis, market by market.

Similarly, the TDC's approach to promoting Hong Kong's service exports is structured thematically around clusters of related service industries. While industry- specific in focus, the promotional approach is global.

A special priority for the TDC in the past year was the expansion and upgrading of its comprehensive range of business and information services. This included the opening in the CEC Extension of the TDC Business InfoCentre, a vast library of business periodicals, trade directories, market research titles, statistics, and an electronics data centre. Within this expanded facility, which replaced the TDC's former Business Library, is an SME Service Centre, offering specialised business. advice and training to smaller companies.

The TDC's global databank of business contacts, the cornerstone of its Trade Enquiries Service, meanwhile, expanded to 600 000 and the number of enquiries processed rose to 400 000. The TDC is also developing a new global database of

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