U.S. and Hong Kong (1999)

Remarks by Deputy Consul General John Medeiros at the Hong Kong Observatory
Inauguration of the Supercomputer
December 7, 1999

I am pleased to be here with my distinguished colleague from Japan and our friends from the Hong Kong Observatory to celebrate the opening of the Observatory's new facility to strengthen its capability in rainstorm monitoring and forecasting.

First of all, I am pleased because anyone who has lived in Hong Kong for any length of time knows how important the rainstorm forecasting function is for life and property in Hong Kong. Americans in Hong Kong number about 50,000, and we are all grateful for the Observatory's efforts to keep residents, visitors and businesses safe in the face of nature's fury. Last August, I watched as that fury caused so much rain on Hong Kong Island that the sewers on Garden Road in front of the consulate literally spouted geysers from the water pressure. I was thankful that my wife and little daughter were safe at home, warned by the Observatory's forecasts that that was the best place to be. So thank you to everyone at the Observatory for your continuing good work.

Secondly, I'm pleased because the Observatory's new facility is making use of a state-of-the-art Cray SV1 computer manufactured by Silicon Graphics, one of the many American companies supplying world-class technology products to users around the world. When it goes shopping, Hong Kong is a discerning and judicious customer. That's why it buys high technology products from leading U.S. manufacturers - Hong Kongers want the best for their money. And when they buy products like this one, they get it.

We in the U.S. government are committed to support continued U.S. participation in Hong Kong's growing information technology sector. We will do this by introducing our leading-edge producers to Hong Kong consumers; and we will do it by facilitating access to the necessary export licenses for these - and other -- high technology products. In the past few months we have announced several measures to further relax restrictions on sales of certain products. For example, computers of increasing power can now be exported to Hong Kong relatively easily under "license exceptions", and we are also relaxing controls on encryption products, an area that is important for Hong Kong's plans to develop e-commerce.

Most importantly, Hong Kong is treated autonomously by the United States, Japan and other major technology exporters. We are able to export these products to Hong Kong because of our confidence in Hong Kong's world-class export control system, which makes sure that this SAR does not become a transshipment point for sensitive technologies or proliferation risk. We and other technology exporting nations work closely with the SAR authorities to maintain a strong system, and we have productive and open ongoing exchanges of information and experience. We look forward to continuing to work with the Hong Kong government and local industry to further support American participation in building Hong Kong's high technology future.

Thank you.