GA 1210
PRIORITY
EN CLAIR
HKK 121
2 2 pr
7.6.16
434
FM HONG KONG 220420Z
INDL
UNCLASSIFIED
TO PRIORITY F C O TELNO 1291 OF 22 DECEMBER 1977
INFO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, BRUSSELS (FOR BURGESS), GENEVA (FOR TSAO).
MIPT.
TEXT OF ORIGINAL QUESTION, REPLY AND SUPPLEMENTARIES
MR FRANCIS TIEN ASKED :
WITH REGARD TO THE E E C/H K TEXTILES AGREEMENT:
A) WILL GOVERNMENT STATE WHETHER IT IS AWARE THAT HM GOVT WAS ONE OF THE EEC MEMBERS WHICH INSISTED ON DISCRIMINATORY MEASURES
AGAINST HONG KONG AND, IF SO,
(B) WILL GOVERNMENT STATE WHETHER IT IS AWARE OF THE BITTERNESS THAT IS FELT BY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG AS WELL AS BY CONSUMERS IN EEC COUNTRIES WHO ARE THUS DEPRIVED CF CERTAIN GOOD QUALITY HONG KONG PRODUCTS AND, IF SO,
(C) WILL GOVERNMENT CONSIDER PRESENTING TO HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE PROTEST ACCORDINGLY ?
2. THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY REPLIED :
SIR,
THE ANSWER TO THE FIRST AND SECOND PARTS OF MR TIEN'S QUESTION, SIR, IS YES,
AS FOR THE THIRD PART OF THE QUESTION I CAN SAY THIS: BEFORE AND DURING THEST PROTRACTED NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMISSION, WHICH WAS ACTING WITHIN A MANDATE HANDED DOWN BY-THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF THE COMMUNITY, THE GOVERNMENT, WAS IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE AND THE GOVERNOR PERSONALLY HAD INTERVIEWS WITH SEVERAL MINISTERS IN SEPTEMBER AND NOVEMBER. THE VARIOUS EXCHANGES, WRITTEN AND ORAL, WHICH TOOK PLACE HAD THREE OBJECTIVES: FIRST, TO ENSURE THAT HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT UNDERSTOOD THE EXTENT TO WHICH HONG KONG WAS BEING DEPRIVED OF
/ITS