§ 18. Mr. GallieTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department is doing to encourage exports to the far east.
§ Mr. GoodladAll FCO posts in the far east have export promotion as a top priority. They seek out export opportunities, advise British companies on the business to be won in their markets, lobby on their behalf for major contracts and against discrimination, organise visits by Ministers and trade missions with the specific object of winning business amongst other tasks. I am happy to say, for example, that our exports to China were 72 per cent. up in the first 11 months of 1993 compared to 1992, to the Philippines 50 per cent., to Thailand 39 per cent., to South Korea 21 per cent., to Malaysia 50 per cent., to Hong Kong 32 per cent., to Singapore 24 per cent., to Japan 17 per cent. and to Taiwan 20 per cent.