Bulletin Number One 1982

Q. First o f all, let me thank you fo r granting me this interview. As a person so closely associated with The Chinese University ， what do you think o f it? A. The Chinese University is a young institution which w ill excel in the academic world in due course. Because o f Hong Kong's setting and position, local institutions o f tertiary education enjoy a high degree o f academic freedom, and staff and students o f The Chinese University should take fu ll advantage o f it. Q. What do you think o f today's university students on the whole? A. University education o f my day catered only for the elite, but times have changed. This is clearly a great stride forward. As for the students them selves, it is gratifying to note that they are be coming more and more aware o f social problems. I am convinced that it is the duty o f university students to come to grips w ith social injustices, and I have never been worried by their relatively radical attitude because I believe that the wise guidance o f teachers can always prevent them from going too far. Q. We all know that your contribution to Hong Kong is in many areas. One o f your greatest achieve ments in recent years has been the promotion o f Hong Kong's bilateral trade with other countries. Would you please tell us something about the Trade Development Council and your role as its Chairman? A. The function o f the Trade Development Council is two-fold: to enable overseas countries to have a better understanding o f Hong Kong's trade policies and the prospects o f Hong Kong trade; and to obtain more information on foreign markets and to develop new ones. Hong Kong adopts an open door policy in trade, never placing any restrictions on import from other countries, the reason being that our industries rely so heavily on imported raw materials and machinery that reduction in import trade would mean recession in industry and diminishing export trade. Opportunities for trade w ith Hong Kong also lie in the many local public works developments, e.g. the Mass Transit Railway, public housing, the proposed new airport, the container terminal. A ll these projects require the active participation o f overseas countries including the importation o f equipment, specialists and techniques. To t hem ， these Invisible exports' have boosted their trade w ith Hong Kong. As for export trade, Hong Kong has in recent years shifted its emphasis from USA and members o f the European Economic Community to Japan. Before, we had little idea what the Japanese market was like, so we did not and could not produce goods to meet its specific needs. The recession in Europe and America ， coupled w ith the emergence o f Japan as a great economic power, w ith which Hong Kong has a very un favourable balance o f trade, has induced us to devote more efforts to expanding the Japanese market. A change in Japan's economic develop ment, w ith heavy industries taking priority over light industries, enables us to open up a market in Japan for our toys, clothing, electronic goods and electric appliances. We are now turning our attention to the medium-sized chain stores in Japan for realizing the market potential. Previously many countries had the mis conception that Hong Kong was only a producer o f cheap and low quality goods o f limited choice, but today Hong Kong products enjoy a very good reputation and further expansion o f our foreign markets is to be expected. Apart from developing trade relations w ith overseas countries, the TDC is actively promoting economic cooperation w ith China. To achieve the four modernizations, China has to learn from the experience o f Hong Kong in the development o f its light industries the same way Hong Kong learnt from Japan th irty years ago. The setting up o f special economic zones in Southern China enables Hong Kong to play a greater role in China's modernization programme through the introduction o f modern technology, management know-how and sales promotion. Q. Sales promotion is precisely what the Hong Kong Trade Development Council has been doing? A. Precisely. Industrialists are responsible for developing Hong Kong's industries but good 4