EXTRACT OF A SPEECH MADE BY DR. THE HON. S.Y. CHUNG AT THE HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON OCTOBER 31, 1973
The second issue which I would like to raise in this debate
is about the voice of Hong Kong people in the H.M. Government.
Occasionally, there are cases in which there are conflicting
interests between H.M. Government and the Hong Kong Government.
Since Hong Kong is a Colony and officials in the Hong Kong
Government, with greatest respect, are basically members of
the U.K. civil service and, strictly speaking, are under
directives of Whitehall. Despite all their good efforts, the
voices of Hong Kong people are seldom heard within the U.K.
Government. I can readily cite two recent cases in point.
The first is the British guarantee on Hong Kong's sterling
reserve. Hong Kong was supposed to have negotiations by
right with the U.K. Government about a year prior to the
expiry date but was eventually denied of any negotiation.
The second case in point is the discrimination against Hong
Kong by H.M. Government itself. As from 1st January 1974
(two months from now), the U.K. Generalised Preference Scheme
will begin to reach harmonization with that of the European
Economic Community. This will mean that in less than four
years the U.K. will have to apply the full EEC's Common
External Tariff to Hong Kong's textiles and footwears. This
discriminating action taken by H.M. Government will place
these two important local industries at a grave economic
disadvantage as against similar exports from our competitors
such as South Korea, India, Pakistan, Thailand and Philippines
which will be eligible for duty free entry into the U.K.
Hong Kong is small by geographical area but is by no means
insignificant as far as population, economic strength and size
of world trade are concerned. It is desirable that the Hong
Kong case should be put directly and forcibly to the Ministers
to be cont'd