AKED
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SWIA 2AH
1
From The Minister of State
3 December 1982
Aknald
INDUSTRY AND TRADE COMMITTEE VISIT TO HONG KONG *
I am sorry to learn of the incident detailed in your letter of 30 November, and fully appreciate the Committee's concern.
When I offered to give the members a personal briefing on the political background to the visit I understood that it was agreed that the session was to be informal, if private, and not therefore covered by the usual rules of Select Committee procedure. you will agree that, in those circumstances, it was perfectly proper
I think for us then to brief confidentially those concerned with your visit about those aspects which seemed to be of particular concern to the Committee. I do assure you that no discourtesy was intended to the Committee.
We
I ought perhaps to say something too about the substance of this matter. The British Government has consistently urged Hong Kong's case as a territory free of tariffs on the rest of the EC. achieved some limited success in softening the position for the opening rounds of negotiations and were also instrumental in November in ensuring that the Commission were given the flexibility they sought in order to conclude negotiations.
.4
As for the low-cost supplier agreement, Hong Kong frequently claims that it is the US, not themselves, who are the real low-cost suppliers'. It
It is true that US imports to UK were for a time cheaper, but the recent strength of the US dollar has again reversed this. Moreover, UK imports from the US have declined since 1980.
I am told that in other well: I hope so.
respects your visit seems to have gone Thank you again for telling me of the Committee's concern before my own visit to Hong Kong next week.
Sir Donald Kaberry Bt TD DL MP
Chairman, Select Committee on
Industry and Trade
House of Commons
London SWLA
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Smank A
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(BELSTEAD)