THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1982
THE PRESENCE OF A HONG KONG REPRESENTATIVE IN THE TSB OCCUPYING ONE OF THE DEVELOPING COUNTRY SEATS, HIS ACTIVITIES IN GENEVA IN
TEXTILES FIELD, AND HONG KONG'S EXPERIENCE OF TEXTILES EGOTIATIONS, WERE NO DOUBT IMPORTANT FACTORS IN HONG KONG'S INCREASING ACCEPTANCE BY OTHER LDCS AS A MEMBER OF THE GROUP, HE SAID.
TURNING TO HONG KONG'S INVOLVEMENT IN LDC CO-ORDINATION ON NON-TEXTILES TRADE ISSUES, MR MILLS EXPLAINED THAT MUCH OF THE LDC CO-ORDINATION WORK IN THIS SPHERE WAS EITHER INITIATED OR GIVEN TECHNICAL SUPPORT BY THE SECRETARIAT OF THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT (UNCTAD).
THE UNCTAD OPERATED ON A GROUP BASIS, AND THE LDCS IN THE UNCTAD FORMED THEMSELVES INTO A POLITICAL GROUP KNOWN AS THE GROUP OF 77 - WHICH NOW HAS OVER 100 MEMBERS. SINCE ITS MEMBERSHIP IS OPEN ONLY TO INDEPENDENT STATES, HONG KONG OBVIOUSLY CANNOT BECOME A MEMBER, HE NOTED.
+HOWEVER, AS AN ASSOCIATE MEMBER OF ANOTHER UN ORGAN, THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION ON ASIA AND THE PACIFIC (ESCAP) HONG KONG GOT THE COMMISSION TO ORGANISE, IN THE MARGINS OF UNCTAD MEETINGS, MEETINGS FOR LDCS WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
+BY GRADUALLY WORKING ITS WAY IN, HONG KONG MANAGED TO GET ITSELF INVITED IN 1976 INTO INFORMAL MEETINGS OF THE GROUP OF 77 TO DISCUSS POSITIONS ON THE MULTILATERAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WHICH WERE THEN TAKING PLACE IN THE GATT. EVENTUALLY, THERE WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE GATT AN INFORMAL GROUP OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, IN WHICH HONG KONG WAS INCLUDED AS A MEMBER, MR MILLS SAID.
+HONG KONG'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LDCS IS NOW WELL ESTABLISHED, WE ARE SO WELL ACCEPTED BY THE LDCS NOWADAYS THAT THE HEAD OF OUR GENEVA OFFICE WAS RECENTLY ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF ONE OF THE COMMITTEES IN THE GATT AS A RESULT OF AN EFFORT BY SOME OTHER LDCS TO PROMOTE HIM AS AN LDC CANDIDATE.
+THIS CORDIAL RELATIONSHIP HAS BEEN ACHIEVED WITH GREAT EFFORT AND PATIENCE, BUT ALSO WITH SINCERITY. WE HAVE DEMONSTRATED WE ARE NOT THE UNITED KINGDOM'S TROJAN HORSE, HE STATED.
+I THINK THAT HONG KONG HAS A FUND OF EXPERIENCE, NOT ALL OF IT HAPPY, IN TRADE ISSUES, PARTICULARLY IN THE FIELD OF TEXTILES. WE ARE ABLE TO SHARE WITH OUR LDC FRIENDS OUR KNOWLEDGE AND OUR EXPERIENCE. WE ARE KNOWN FOR EXERCISING A MODERATING INFLUENCE AMONG FELLOW LDCS AND THEREBY EXPEDITING THE FINDING OF SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS, HE CONCLUDED.
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