FRIDAY, JULY 5, 1985
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JOINT EFFORT URGED AGAINST JENKINS BILL
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THE GOVERNMENT WILL TELL THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION OF THE UNREASONABLE ASPECTS OF THE JENKINS BILL BEFORE THE BILL IS PUT FORWARD FOR DEBATE, THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR E.P. HO, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).
SPEAKING AT A SEMINAR ON HONG KONG'S TRADE AND INDUSTRY ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG CHINESE GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MR HO SAID THAT HONG KONG HAD ALREADY POINTED OUT TO THE COUNCIL OF THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE (GATT) AND ITS TEXTILES COMMITTEE THAT THE BILL VIOLATED GATT PROVISIONS.
HONG KONG WOULD CONTINUE TO MAKE CONCERTED EFFORTS WITH OTHER DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO CREATE STRONG OPPOSITION TO THE BILL, HE ADDED.
THE HONG KONG TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL HAD RECENTLY APPOINTED A LOBBYIST IN THE U.S. TO LOBBY CONGRESSMEN IN A BID TO SAFEGUARD AND PROMOTE TRADE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE U.S. AND THE TERRITORY.
+WE WILL LIAISE CLOSELY WITH THE LOBBYIST SO THAT HE CAN CONVINCE CONGRESSMEN AND SENATORS TO OPPOSE THE BILL, HE SAID.
MR HO SAID HE HOPED THAT THE LOCAL TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL SECTORS WOULD RECOGNISE THE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES OF THE BILL AND WOULD ENDEAVOUR TO INFLUENCE THE DECISION OF THE U.S. CONGRESS THROUGH EVERY MEANS.
HE CALLED ON LOCAL EXPORTERS AND MANUFACTURERS TO EXPLAIN TO THEIR U.S. TRADING PARTNERS THE DAMAGE THE JENKINS BILL WOULD CAUSE TO THE TRADE OF THE U.S. AND HONG KONG.
HE CRITICISED THE U.S. TEXTILE INDUSTRY FOR BEING
UNREASONABLE IN BACKING THE BILL.
MR HO SAID IT WAS A VIOLATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS AND HE HOPED THAT AS A RESULT OF THE JOINT EFFORTS, THE U.S. CONGRESS WOULD MAKE A WISE DECISION TO RULE OUT THE BILL.
MR HO HOPED THAT THE GOVERNMENT AND THE TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL SECTORS SHOULD WORK CLOSELY TO RESIST EXTERNAL PRESSURE SO AS TO ACHIEVE GREATER SUCCESS INTHE DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRIAL DIVERSIFICATION AND THE PROMOTION OF OVERSEAS MARKETS.
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