THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1982
LDC CO-ORDINATION IS VITAL TO HONG KONG
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THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, MR LAWRENCE MILLS TODAY (THURSDAY) STRESSED THAT HONG KONG'S PARTICIPATION IN THE CO-ORDINATION OF COMMERCIAL POLICY ISSUES AMONG DEVELOPING COUNTRIES (LDCS) WAS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF ITS EXTERNAL COMMERCIAL RELATIONS.
+IF HONG KONG HAD CHOSEN TO STAY OUT OF THE LDC GROUP WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY BE AMONGST THE FIRST TO BE PICKED FOR INTENS IF ICATION OF RESTRICTIONS BY THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES - IT IS ALWAYS EXPEDIENT TO ATTACK THE DEFENCELESS AND THOSE WITHOUT ANY POLITICAL MUSCLE, SAID MR MILLS WHEN ADDRESSING THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON.
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OUTLYING THE INCREASING IMPORTANCE OF LDC CO-ORDINATION, AS EVIDENCED IN THE NEGOTIATIONS OF THE PROTOCOL EXTENDING THE MFA AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, HE SAID: +WITHOUT LDC CO-ORDINATION, THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES WOULD BE BETTER ABLE TO PLAY OFF THE LDCS ONE AGAINST ANOTHER, ENDING PROBABLY WITH EVERY LDC LOSING OUT, AS HAPPENED IN THE EEC TEXTILE NEGOTIATIONS IN 1977.
+THE LESSON OF 1977 LED HONG KONG AND A FEW OTHER KEY LDCS TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE IN LATE 1979 TO ORGANISE LDC CO-ORDINATION FOR THE 1981 MULTIFIBRE ARRANGEMENT NEGOTIATIONS ON A FIRMER AND MORE REGULAR BASIS. THIS INITIATIVE LED TO A SERIES OF FORMAL CO-ORDINATION MEETINGS HELD RESPECTIVELY IN BOGOTA, JAKARTA, HONG KONG AND NEW DELHI IN LATE 1980 AND 1981. ANOTHER MEETING IS EXPECTED TO BE HELD IN BANGKOK IN AUGUST, HE SAID.
+CO-ORDINATION AMONG DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ALSO TAKES PLACE IN RESPECT OF OTHER TRADE ISSUES,+ MR MILLS SAID, DURING THE TOKYO ROUND OF THE MULTILATERAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN 1973 AND 1979, FOR INSTANCE, THERE WAS CONTINUOUS DISCUSSION AMONG THE LDCS ON THEIR POSITIONS IN THE NEGOTIATIONS.+
+ANOTHER EXERCISE, CONTINUING IN THE GATT, IS THE DISCUSSION ON THE USE OF SAFEGUARD MEASURES WHEN IMPORTS ARE SAID TO BE CAUSING SERIOUS PROBLEMS IN THE MARKETS OF IMPORTING COUNTRIES. THE LDCS NOW TAKE THE COMMON POSITION THAT SUCH MEASURES SHOULD NOT BE APPLIED SELECTIVELY, THIS COMMON POSITION HAS BEEN ARRIVED AT AS A RESULT OF CLOSE CO-ORDINATION.
*PRESENTLY, WHAT FEATURES PROMINENTLY IN THE SCENE OF LDC CO-ORDINATION OUTSIDE THE FIELD OF TEXTILES IS THE PREPARATION FOR THE MINISTERIAL MEETING TO BE CONVENED LATER THIS YEAR UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE GATT AT WHICH MAJOR TRADE ISSUES WILL BE CONSIDERED,+ DISCLOSED MR MILLS.
GIVING AN ACCOUNT OF THE DIFFICULTIES HONG KONG ENCOUNTERED BEFORE BEING ACCEPTED INTO THE LDC GROUP DURING THE 1973 MFA NEGOTIATIONS, HE SAID: +OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LDCS HAD BEEN ENHANCED BY OUR PROMINENCE IN THE TEXTILES FIELD. IN 1974, THE TEXTILES SURVEILLANCE BODY WAS SET UP TO SUPERVISE THE OPERATION OF THE MULTIFIBRE ARRANGEMENT. BECAUSE HONG KONG IS A MAJOR EXPORTER - AND IMPORTER OF TEXTILES, IT WAS ALLOCATED ONE OF THE EIGHT SEATS ON THE TSB, SHARED WITH KOREA ON A YEARLY ROTATIONAL BASIS.
THE PRESENCE