MON!.
1985
5
MR FOOTMAN SAID THAT HONG KONG HAD PLAYED A VERY ACTIVE PART IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THE BILL BUT THAT: +IT WOULD NOT BE BENEFICIAL FOR HONG KONG TO ADOPT A HIGH PROFILE OR TO LEAD THE OPPOSITION TO THE BILL, EITHER WITHIN THE U.S. OR IN GENEVA. A HIGH PROFILE APPROACH WOULD NEITHER ENDEAR US TO OUR COLLEAGUES AMONG THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN GENEVA, WHO ARE WELL ABLE TO IDENTIFY AND FIGHT FOR THEIR OWN INTERESTS, NOR WOULD IT ENDEAR US TO OUR ALLIES IN THE UNITED STATES, FOR SIMILAR REASONS.+
THE BILL NOW HAS ABOUT 283 CO-SPONSORS OUT OF 435 MEMBERS, IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND 52, OUT OF 100 MEMBERS, IN THE SENATE, HE SAID.
+THESE FIGURES ARE ALARMING EVIDENCE OF THE GENERAL PROTECTIONIST MOOD IN THE UNITED STATES.+
HE DESCRIBED THE FIGHT AS BEING: LIKE AN ICEBERG, THE VAST MAJORITY OF ALL EFFORTS, BE THEY BY U.S. INTERESTS, HONG KONG INDUSTRY, GOVERNMENT OR INDIVIDUALS, TAKES PLACE WITHOUT EMERGING ABOVE THE SURFACE. EQUALLY, WITHOUT THOSE INVISIBLE EFFORTS THERE WOULD BE NOTHING TO SEE AT THE TOP OF THE ICEBERG.+
RECENT WELCOME DEVELOPMENTS HAD INCLUDED MAJOR INITIATIVES MOUNTED BY THE RETAIL INDUSTRY TRADE ACTION COALITION, INCLUDING A GRASSROOTS EFFORT TO FLOOD THE OFFICES OF CONGRESSMEN AND SENATORS WITH ANTI-PROTECTIONIST MAIL. THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF EXPORTERS AND IMPORTERS HAS ORGANISED TWO MAJOR LOBBYING ACTIVITIES IN WASHINGTON, AND THE SENIOR MEMBERS OF THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION HAD WRITTEN A LETTER OPPOSING THE BILL TO ALL MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
+A WORD OF WARNING WOULD BE APPROPRIATE, THE ADMINISTRATION'S OPPOSITION TO THE BILL IS ONE THING, BUT WITHOUT CONTINUED AND GROWING SUPPORT FROM A WIDE SPECTRUM OF U.S. INTERESTS SUCH OPPOSITION CANNOT WITHSTAND THE IMPETUS OF 283 AND 52 CO-SPONSORS IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE,+ SAID MR FOOTMAN.
+THE LETTER IS THUS NOT A SIGNAL THAT THE BATTLE IS OVER, RATHER IT IS A SIGNAL THAT A NEW ALLY HAS EMERGED AND THE BATTLE SHOULD BE FOUGHT WITH CONTINUED AND INCREASING COMMITMENT. +
HONG KONG'S EFFORTS HAD SEEN IT ALERTING U.S. INTERESTS TO THE BILL, IT HAD BEEN IN TOUCH WITH MANY MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS BOTH IN THE TERRITORY AND IN THE U.S. MR BILL DORWARD, COMMISSIONER FOR COMMERCIAL AFFAIRS IN NEW YORK HAD WRITTEN TO 1 000 INFLUENTIAL CONTACTS; MEETINGS HAD BEEN HELD WITH ABOUT 70 SENATORS AND CONGRESSMEN, CONTINUOUS CONTACT WAS MAINTAINED WITH KEY U.S. OFFICIALS, AND ONLY LAST WEEK MR ERIC HO, SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY WAS IN WASHINGTON.
/ON THE