''THE FEDERATION HAS BEEN
SERTOUSLY CONCERNED AT THE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HONG KONG IN THE [EC GSP" HE SAID, ''WE HAVE PRESSED THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE ACTION TO BRING HOME THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS MATTER TO THE UK GOVERNMENT. THE LEC IS OUR SECOND LARGEST MARKET AND WE CANNOT ALLOW DISCRIMINAT- ION TO CONTINUE AGAINST US THERE. THE EFFECT IS HIGHLY DAMAGING AND, IF IT CONTINUES, IT WILL ENCOURAGE OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRIES TO TAKE SIMILAR ACTION AGAINST US. MR. CALLAGHAN'S SUPPORT FOR HONG KONG IS TIMELY AND I HOPE IT WILL BE EFFECTIVE".
LEN DUNNING, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL.
THE TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL IS VERY HEARTENED BY MR.CALLAGHAN 'S STATEMENT IN LUXEMBOURG. THE T.D.C. HAS BEEN PRESSING FOR A REVIEW OF THIS INIQUITOUS SITUATION WHERE WE ARE BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST IN OUR HOME COUNTRY. FRENCH EX-COLONIAL TERRITORIES HAVE BEEN WELL TREATED BY THE EEC AND, IN OUR VIEW, HONG KONG DESERVES NO LESS.
THE ACTION COMMITTEE ON EEC GSP CONVENED BY THE T.D.C. HAS EXPRESSED GREAT RELIEF AND PLEASURE AT THE NEWS OF BRITAIN'S' SUPPORT FOR OUR INDUSTRY.
J.P.LEE, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE CMA.
MEMBERS OF THE CHINESE MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATION WILL BE VERY PLEASED WITH THIS NEWS. THE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HONG KONG BY THE EEC HAS BEEN MOST UNREASONABLE AND IS INCREASINGLY DAMAGING TO OUP TRADE. THE C.M.A. HAS STRONGLY URGED THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT SINCE 1971 TO TAKE ALL STEPS NECESSARY TO HAVE THE DISCRIMINATION REMOVED. MR. CALLAGHAN'S STATEMENT SUGGESTS THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WILL NOW NEGOTIATE A BETTER DEAL FOR HONG KONG.
''THIS NEGOTIATION
MR. LEE WAS OPTIMISTIC BUT ALSO CAUTIOUS. WILL NOT BE EASY AND WE MUST EXPECT STRONG RESISTANCE FROM FRANCE IN PARTICULAR WITHIN THE EEC GROUP"
MR. J.B. KITE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, H.K. GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
''THE CHAMBER IS DELIGHTED TO HEAR MR. CALLAGHAN'S STATEMENT AND PARTICULARLY PLEASED THAT HE HAS REFERRED SPECIFICALLY TO THE REMOVAL OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HONG KONG.
''THE CHAMBER HAS BEEN PRESSING FOR THIS KIND OF ACTION SINCE 1971 AND HAS LONG ADVOCATED DIRECT NEGOTIATIONS ON THE MATTER'
THE HON.T.K. ANN, SPEAKING FOR THE FEDERATION OF HONG KONG INDUSTRIES AND ALSO AS A TEXTILI INDUSTRIALIST, WELCOMED THE NEWS FROM LUXE MAOURO, "'MR. CALLACHAN'S STATEMENT IS MOST OPPORTURE • 2ND WILL BE VERY WELL RECEIVED IN HONGKONG. I AM DELIGHTED THAT THE PRITISH GOVERNMENT WILL CLEARLY NEGOTIATE A BETTER DEAL FOR TUNGEONG IN THE FFC. THE CRADUAL LOSS OF COMMONWEALTH PREFERE
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