4
MC.MCGREGOR SAID THAT A CONSTANT DIALOGUE HAS BEEN MAINTAINE 1TH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO DEVELOP HK'S CASE FUR REMOVAL OF DISCRIMINATION.
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IN APRIL, MR. DAVID JORDAN, THEN DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, HAD FURTHER TALKS IN LONDON ON THE MATTER. HE SAID ON HIS RETURN TO HONG KONG :
IT WAS USEFUL THAT WE HAD ARRANGED TO HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS IN LONDON AT THIS TIME. WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT FORWARD AND EXPLAIN OUR BELIEF THAT THE EXCLUSION OF HONG KONG'S TEXTILES AND FOOTWEAR IS NO LONGER IF IT EVER WAS -- JUSTIFIABLE OR NECESSARY
HEN JUDGED BY ANY OBJECTIVE CRITERIA.T
OUR FOOTWEAR EXPORTS ARE DECLINING AND IN TEXTILES WE HAVE NOT FILLED OUR QUOTAS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. IN OTHER PRODUCTS, ALTHOUGH IMPORTS FROM HK HAVE BEEN A LARGE PROPORTION OF TOTAL IMPORTS UNDER THE PREFERENCE SCHEME, THEY HAVE BEEN VERY SMALL IN RELATION TO THE TOTAL QUOTAS AVAILABLE.''
MRM
STATEMENT BY MR.DEREK JONES,SECRETARY @
ECONOMIC SERVICES.
QUESTIONED THIS MORNING ABOUT MR. CALLAGHAN'S STATEMENT, THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, MR. DEREK JONES, ALSO WARMLY NELCOMED THE INTENTION OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO SEEK A BETTER DEAL FOR HONG KONG IN THE EFC'S GENERALISED PREFERENCES ARRANGEMENT.
''I HOPE IT WILL BE UNDERSTOOD IN THE OTHER MEMBER STATES OF THE COMMUNITY' HE SAID, ''THAT WHAT WE ARE SEEKING, WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, IS NOT SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WILL DISCRIMINATE IN HK'S FAVOUR, BUT RATHER THE REMOVAL OF DIS- CRIMINATION IN FAVOUR OF OUR CLOSE COMPETITORS WHICH IS ALREADY PROVING DAMAGING TO HONG KONG'S TRADE IN TEXTILES AND FOOTWEAR TO THE COMMUNITY.
''OUR POSITION.'' MR. JONES CONTINUED,'' IS THAT HK SHOULD BE ABLE TO TRADE ON FAIR AND EQUAL TERMS WITH ITS CLOSE COMPETITORS IN THE MARKETS OF THE WORLD. WE DO NOT ASK FOR SPECIAL FAVOURS. AND WE ACCEPT THAT SPECIAL TREATMENT IS ACCORDED TO COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THAT THE NEEDS OF THE LEAST DEVELOPED AMONG THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES REQUIRE PARTICULAR CONSIDERATIONS. BUT WE DO NOT ACCEPT AS REASONABLE ¦ A POSITION IN WHICH BRITAIN IS REQUIRED BY COMMUNITY ARRANGEMENTS TO ACCORD BETTER TREATMENT TO COUNTRIES WHO HAVE NO TIES WITH THE COMMUNITY, AND WHO ARE CLOSE COMPETITORS OF HONG KONG, THAN SHE
· IS PERMITTED TO EXTEND TO HONG KONG WHICH IS, AFTERALL, HER OWN.
· DEPENDENT TERRITORY.''
MR. A.ISMAIL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FEDERATION OF HK INDUSTRIES WAS DELICHTED WITH THE NEWS.