Government's statement
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     A Government spokesman today (April 8) welcomed the decision of the State Council to introduce a pilot programme for using Renminbi for cross-border trade settlements in Shanghai and four cities in the Guangdong Province.

     "We in Hong Kong have completed the necessary technical preparations for becoming the first place outside the Mainland to operate the pilot programme. We will work closely with the relevant Mainland authorities to ensure a smooth operation of the programme," the spokesman said.

Ends/Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Issued at HKT 20:29

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