WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1980
3
TOUGH IMPORT RESTRICTIONS IN UK
****
THE TEXTILE LOBBY HAS +BAMBOOZLED+ THE UNITED KINGDOM INTO IMPOSING TOUGH RESTRICTIONS ON IMPORTS FROM COUNTRIES THAT CAN MAKE GOOD CHEAP CLOTHING, THE HONG KONG COMMISSIONER, MR DENIS BRAY, SAID AT THE DIPLOMATIC AND COMMONWEALTH WRITERS ASSOCIATION LUNCHEON IN LONDON YESTERDAY (TUESDAY).
+THESE RESTRICTIONS ARE DRIVING UP THE PRICES OF THE CLOTHES WE ALL WEAR AND THEY ARE PREVENTING THE CREATION OF JOBS IN EXPORT INDUSTRIES THAT HAVE PROSPECTS FOR GROWTH, HE SAID.
MR BRAY ALSO CHALLENGED THE JUSTIFICATION OF PROTECTIONISM, SHORT-TERM OR OTHERWISE.
+OUR EXPORTS TO THE UK HAVE BEEN UNDER RESTRAINT FOR OVER 20 YEARS WHICH I WOULD CALL A LONG TIME. EACH TIME A SHORT-TERM AGREEMENT EXPIRES A NEW AND TOUGHER ONE IS IMPOSED. IT JUST GETS WORSE AND WORSE AND IT DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEMS ANYWAY, HE SAID.
MR BRAY SAID THE WHOLE BUSINESS OF TEXTILE PROTECTIONISM NEEDED A NEW LOOK.
TALKING ON RELATIONS WITH CHINA, HE SAID HONG KONG HAD A CRUCIAL ROLE TO PLAY IN THE FOUR GREAT MODERNISATIONS AND CHINA HAD EXPLICITLY ACCEPTED THAT ROLE.
+CHINA'S MODERNISATION HAS OPENED UP A WHOLE NEW ERA FOR HONG KONG'S ENTREPOT TRADE ON WHICH WE LIVED UNTIL AN EMBARGO WAS IMPOSED AS A RESULT OF THE KOREAN WAR.
+ IN LOOKING TO THE FUTURE MOST OUTSIDERS ASK WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN 1997 WHEN THE NEW TERRITORIES LEASE EXPIRES. WELL, NOBODY KNOWS, DENG XIAOPENG HAS SAID FIRMLY THAT INVESTORS SHOULD PUT THE IR HEARTS AT EASE. THE CHINESE CLEARLY DO NOT REGARD THIS AS AN URGENT ISSUE, NEITHER DO WE, SAID MR BRAY.
HE ADDED THAT LAST YEAR THERE WERE ALMOST 200 000 IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA AND THE RATE OF FLOW WAS AS HIGH THIS YEAR.
A SIX PER CENT ANNUAL POPULATION GROWTH, HE SAID, WOULD IMPOSE QUITE STAGGERING PRESSURE ON ALL SOCIAL SERVICES, PARTICULARLY HOUSING,
F
A....