Extract from the record of a meeting between the Secretary of State and the International Committee of the TUC on 12 April:
Mr Jones referred to Hong Kong as one of the TUC's special areas of concern rising out of the workers' inability to improve their sub-standard working conditions. Mr Smith added that the TUC's views on Hong Kong were given a special edge by the fact that what is still a Crown Colony is able, because of its poor working conditions, to dump electronic and other products on the UK market. Mr Hargreaves mentioned that members of the TUC's International Committee had had the opportunity of meeting the Governor of Hong Kong on 3 December but had been unable to influence the Governor's thinking or establish any common ground for a future programme involving the Hong Kong trade unions.