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3
Wednesday, January 24, 1973
"In this connection I was very glad to know that the Government
of Japan has recently introduced a number of measures designed to promote
imports, including reductions in certain tariffs and the removal of
quantitative imports restrictions on other products. We in Hong Kong
welcome these moves, which, if I might say so, are typical of the wisdom
of Japanese economic administration. If they allow Hong Kong exports
to improve their performance in Japan they will also improve that
highly fragile commodity good-will,
Special Plea
*This brings me to the question of United Nations Generalised
Here I must make a special plea
Preferences for Developing Countries.
to the Japanese Government to end the discrimination against Hong Kong
involved in the so-called Hong Kong Exceptions List. This is a special
list of 96 items in respect of which Hong Kong alone among developing
countries is excluded from preference in the Japanese market. I am not
asking for special favours for Hong Kong but only that we should not be
discriminated against as compared with our close competitors. The
trading and economic links between Japan and Hong Kong may become strained
if they are too one-sided. One-quarter of Hong Kong's imports come from
Japan, one-thirty-third of our exports go to Japan
discrimination could provoke resentment.
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in such circumstances
"Many