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SCMP Reporter

HONGKONG'S position as the cargo gateway to China will not be challenged in the next five years, says the territory's Port Development Board.

  However, after that, the developing southern China ports such as Yantian and Gaolan are likely to divert some cargo from Hongkong.

  Mr Sammy Tsang, principal marine officer of the Port Development Board, says that while Hongkong and Singapore are compared, they are not rivals as they serve different clients - Hongkong serving south China, while Singapore is the transshipment hub for Southeast Asia.

  Ports in southern China now lack the infrastructure to eat into Hongkong's business, he says.

   ''But after five years, the neighbouring ports like Yantian and Gaolan will develop,'' he said.

  Hutchison Whampoa is involved in the development of the ports in Yantian, about 25 kilometres from Shenzhen, and Gaolan, located south of Jiuzhou.

  Mr Tsang said the port of Shekou port is unlikely to pose a major threat to Hongkong because ships calling there would have to pass by Hongkong.

   An alternative route to Shekou is too shallow for ocean-going vessels and dredging would not help.

  ''The cost would be tremendous, and after each typhoon, the dredged area would be silted up again,'' Mr Tsang said.

  While alternative ports to Hongkong are being development, the territory will continue to see strong growth for a long time, he said. ''We are confident as China opens up and grows, we will still have business even with these neighbouring ports coming up.''   Hongkong's cargo volume growth rates will taper off from today's double-digits levels, but Mr Tsang said this is to be expected because the base is so high.

  In line with expected growth, Hongkong is going ahead with its port expansion plans.

  Work on the four berths in Terminal 8 is on schedule, with the first berth will be commissioned in August this year.

  When the terminal is complete in June 1995, it will have a capacity of 1.8 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).

   The operators will be Modern Terminals and Hongkong International Terminals.

  After Terminal 8 is completed, work on Terminal 9 is scheduled to begin. If all goes well, this terminal will be completed by January 1997.

  The developers of terminal nine - the Tsing Yi Container Terminal Consortium, Modern Terminals and Hongkong International Terminals - face problems getting the necessary financing because of the tussle between China and Hongkong.

   ''But I don't think the situation will last long,'' Mr Tsang said. ''Anyway, there are a number of options.''   He said the Hongkong Government could step in and build the terminal and sell it to the operators when it is completed.

  Meanwhile, PDB secretary Tony Clark has reiterated that he is optimistic that Terminal 9 eventually will be built.

  The matter would be settled as it was in the interest of both Hongkong and China to do so, he said.

  MTL's managing director Mark Leese has been continually urging the authorities to separate politics from economics so that the Terminal 9 project can be started.



HK gateway role safe for five years