香港基督教工業委員會
HONG KONG CHRISTIAN INDUSTRIAL COMMITTEE
Open Letter
to all Governments of EEC member countries
The Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee has followed the recent developments of the textile negotiations between the European Economic Community (EEC) and Hong Kong with grave concern. The unilateral decision by the EEC representatives to break off negotiations betrays a total disregard for the vital needs of this territory and threatens a large number of jobs. While employers may be able to move their business to other countries and thus elude trade barriers, workers have no escape when they lose their employment. This compells us to speak out and raise the following points:
1) Europe and the countries of the EEC in particular have benefitted for centuries
from the free trade which they as colonial powers were able to impose on others. Now that other countries are reaching or have reached a stage where they can share the advantages of free trade, the EEC is bent on changing the rules in order to protect itself. We denounce the hypocrisy of this protectionist action.
2) The EEC intends to cut the quotas held by Hong Kong and proposes to reallocate them to other countries, some of which are less developped than Hong Kong. We reject the EEC's way of doing charity at our expense. How much of Hong Kong's share in world trade should go to the less favoured is a decision only Hong Kong is in a position to make.
3) The EEC's representatives have refused to discuss proposals put forward by
Hong Kong and rejected the concessions offered. This is a complete disregard for Hong Kong's legitimate rights under existing agreements and a violation of elementary rules in international relationship.
We call upon the Governments of the MC countries to be more circumspect and to ensure that adequate consideration be given to Hong Kong's legitimate interests. With 50% of all industrial workers engaged in the textile industry, the trade agreement with the EEC is of utmost importance to this territory and it's 4.3 million people. Any abrupt change may have disastrous consequences.
We call upon the Government of the United Kingdom to assume it's special responsibility towards Hong Kong and not give in to the unilateral pressure of protectionist interests.
(Dr.) L. K. Ding, Chairman,
Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee,
Hong Kong, November 18, 1977.
香港九龍北京道五十七號五樓,電話:三-六七八〇三一
57, PEKING ROAD, 4TH FLOOR, KOWLOON, HONG KONG. TEL. 3-678031
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GR 450 IMMEDIATE
ER CAT A
FM HONG KONG 200350Z
CONFIDENTIAL
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