VISITOR PREDICTS FEW HONG KONG CHANGES

A Cape Girardeau businessman who recently visited Honk Kong says the city should continue to be a stable and economically vibrant place that could become China's window to the world.

Travel is up in the city of more than 6 million, say local travel agencies, and Missouri exports to Hong Kong, China and other Far East markets are up and expected to increase.

Congress recently extended most-favored-nation trading status to China for another year, which includes Hong Kong.

Hong Kong has launched its new life as part of China. After 156 years of British colonial rule, Hong Kong reverted to Chinese sovereignty Tuesday. The ceremony included pageantry and inauguration of a new leader and new legislature.

"I look for Hong Kong to continue to be a stable and economically vibrant place," said the Cape Girardeau businessman, Tim Blattner. Blattner and his wife, Nancy, were in Hong Kong on business in mid-to-late May.

"This was before the changeover," said Blattner. "But even then there was much enthusiasm about the move. There may have been some apprehension, but the reality is that Hong Kong is an economic juggernaut and could become China's window to the world."

Blattner, who visited one of the city's Rotary Clubs, said much of the feeling of Rotarians was that China's taking control is not going to dramatically effect the city in the near future."

"I talked with some Rotarians there," said Blattner. "Some of them appeared happy to get rid of the Brits."

"The changeover is attracting visitors to Hong Kong," said Carolyn Kempf of Elite Travel in Cape Girardeau. "A lot of people want to visit the city and see what is happening."

Not many Cape Girardeans are booking Asian trips at this time, but "we're sending a few church groups into that area," said Kempf.

"We have a lot of students in the area that travel back and forth," said Peggy McLain of Designing Travel in Cape Girardeau. "Some of them are from Hong Kong.

"We see quite a bit of travel to China, Hong Kong and Taiwan during the summer and Christmas holidays," said McLain.

Meanwhile, Missouri Department of Agriculture and Missouri Department of Economic Development officials expect few immediate changes in Hong Kong and expect exports to continue to increase in the Far East areas.

During the past three years, U.S. agriculture and food products sales to China and Hong Kong have more than doubled, to $3.6 billion.

Carole Kimme of the state's Department of Agriculture said China and Hong Kong were among the top 20 export markets for Missouri products. China is No. 9 on the list and Hong Kong No. 19.

Processed food is the No. 1 export to China, followed by agricultural products and fabricated metal.

Missouri agricultural exports to China totaled more than $18 million in 1995, said Kimme.

"Asia is a booming market for all Missouri products," said Jim Gardner of the Missouri Economic Development public affairs office. "Our trade between 1991 and 1995 was up 600 percent, and it jumped another 96 percent between 1995 and 1996."

Gardener said the state sees tremendous export opportunities continuing in China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong.